DEMANDS for Welsh Government ministers to be able to see the details of the proposed new Brexit agreement have gone unheeded.

Theresa May was due to meet with her cabinet this afternoon to ask them to support the new deal between the UK and the European Union.

The full details of the agreement remained to be revealed as the Argus went to press, and despite requests, Welsh Government ministers had reportedly not seen the draft deal before it went before the cabinet.

In a statement this afternoon a spokesman for first minister Carwyn Jones said: “We need to see the details of the deal as soon as possible.

"All the nations of the UK need to time to scrutinise what is being proposed as it will have a huge impact on our future.

“So much rests on what the prime minister does and can achieve over the next hours. She needs to stare down the Brexit extremists in her own party and take a course that is right for all of the UK.”

Campaigners on both sides of the Brexit debate have raised concerns that the new deal may result in the UK remaining under EU trade rules despite having no say over them.

And, speaking in the Senedd earlier today, South Wales East AM Steffan Lewis, who is also Plaid Cymru’s Brexit spokesman, said “Wales seems to be treated with the same old contempt” over the deal.

Addressing finance secretary Mark Drakeford, Mr Lewis said: “There are reports that the government of Gibraltar have had sight of the text. I wonder if he could confirm whether that is indeed the case, and whether he thinks it's acceptable for one government, that's not even in the United Kingdom, to have sight of the draft text and for governments within the UK not to?"

Mr Drakeford replied he did not know if other governments had seen the agreement, but said he agreed with statements made by his Scottish counterpart Mike Russell that devolved administrations should see the draft deal before it went before the UK Government cabinet.

But the prime minister showed no sign of acceding to the demands - with Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon also saying on Twitter Mrs May had declined her requests to discuss the deal before it went before the cabinet.

Chairman of the Welsh Assembly's External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee, which has been scrutinising the Brexit process, David Rees, said he was also concerned about the lack of time to examine the deal.

“Whilst we sincerely appreciate the pressure on colleagues in the UK Parliament to consider the Withdrawal Agreement quickly, we are keen to ensure that there is time for the Assembly to offer a view that can be considered before any decision is taken,” he said.

Mrs May is due to make an announcement on the deal - which reportedly avoids the need for a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, arguably the most contentious element of the negotiations - this evening.