PARIS — British Prime Minister Theresa May signalled yesterday that she would not compromise over Brexit despite growing demands for a change in approach in the wake of last week’s election result.

Mrs May insisted that the negotiations will begin with Brussels next week as planned and talks with the rest of the European Union (EU) bloc remain “on course”.

“We have been very clear we want to maintain a close relationship and a close partnership with the EU and individual member states into the future, including in the areas we’ve discussed this evening,” Mrs May said following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

“And I confirmed to President Macron that the timetable for the Brexit negotiation remains on course and will begin next week.”

Mrs May also said last week’s snap election had revealed “a unity of purpose” among British voters for the government to follow through with its plans.

“It’s a unity of purpose, having voted to leave the EU, that their government gets on with that and makes a success of it,” she said.

Pressure was mounting for Mrs May to change course on the type of Brexit the country should pursue after her Conservative party lost its majority in a bungled snap election last week.

The Times newspaper said Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond would push Mrs May not to leave the customs union — an arrangement which guarantees tariff-free trade within the bloc, but prohibits members from striking third-party trade deals.

The report cited unnamed sources, and the Finance Ministry declined to comment.

Nevertheless, it illustrated the challenge Mrs May will face in the remaining days before the EU divorce talks begin: Finding a position that satisfies both pro-European and eurosceptic factions of her party if she wants to remain in power.

European politicians also appeared to detect a shift in the mood around Brexit, with Mr Macron saying the door was open until the negotiations had concluded for Britain to remain a member of the EU.

“Once it (the Brexit process) has started we need to be collectively clear that it’s more difficult to reverse course,” the French President said at the Elysee Palace.

Mrs May’s Conservative Party also resumed talks on a deal to prop up her minority government yesterday with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as Britain entered a sixth day of political turmoil.

Following more than an hour of talks between Mrs May and DUP leader Arlene Foster on Tuesday, Mrs May said the discussion had been productive and Ms Foster said she hoped a deal could be done “sooner rather than later”.

But a deadly fire at a tower block in London could delay the announcement of any deal with the DUP.

“The talks are continuing but I think the events in London today probably will have some impact on that. I think it’s unlikely there will be any announcement today,” a spokesman for the Northern Irish party told AFP.

Whatever Mrs May’ plan for Brexit may be, she will be heavily reliant upon the 10 lawmakers from the eurosceptic DUP, who would help her edge past the 326 votes needed in Parliament to avoid the government collapsing.

However, a deal with the DUP also risks destabilising Northern Ireland by increasing the influence of pro-British unionists. They have struggled for years with nationalists, who want the British province to join a united Ireland.

Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein said the prospect of a British agreement with the DUP was causing anxiety and fear.

While the DUP are deeply eurosceptic, they have balked at some of the practical implications of a so-called hard Brexit — including a potential loss of an open border with the Republic of Ireland — and talks will touch on efforts to minimise the potential damage to Northern Ireland. AGENCIES