Brexit – EU leaders line up to back a 3 Months extension for Britain
Brexit EU leaders line up to back a 3 Months extension for Britain
Brexit – Britain is staring down the barrel of another long Brexit delay today after EU leaders lined up behind a plan to keep the UK in the bloc until 2020.
Despite desperate pleading from Boris Johnson, European leaders are signalling they will approve MPs’ request for a three-month extension until January 31.
The only major hold-out appears to be French president Emmanuel Macron, who is thought to be pushing for a much shorter postponement of just days past the current October 31 deadline.
In a fresh humiliation for the UK, it has emerged that the UK might not know its fate for days, throwing Mr Johnson’s plans to trigger a snap general election into turmoil. Doubts had already been raised about his hopes as Jeremy Corbyn, whose support he would need to secure a poll, is facing a massive revolt from Labour Remainers who want a referendum first.
A meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels this evening broke up with no firm conclusion.
Mr Johnson’s hopes of forcing through the Brexit Bill through Parliament were dashed last night when MPs improved the deal in principle – but refused to sign off the 72-hour timetable that could have allowed the UK to leave on schedule.
Hopes had been raised this morning that Mr Johnson might be granted his wish of a short delay when German foreign minister Heiko Maas suggested they would consider a Brextension of as little as two weeks.
But Mr Mass was later overruled by Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert, who told reporters the extension request would ‘not fail due to Germany’.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar later came out in support of the push led by European Council president Donald Tusk to grant the full three-month extension.
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EU leaders are mulling Britain’s fate. They will decide over the next few days whether to grant Britain a short or long extension – or no extension at all.
They are also considering whether they need to convene a special summit in Brussels to do this, or the 27 EU leaders can reach a consensus remotely.
If leaders agree a short extension of a few days or weeks, Boris Johnson could try to get his deal over the line and agree a new timetable to get Brexit done.
If they agree an extension until January 31 or beyond, Number 10 says it will pull the Bill and challenge Jeremy Corbyn to an election.
It is thought this would be held before Christmas, with the last feasible date to hold a vote being December 12. After that civil servants have warned that schools will have to cancel nativity plays and other Christmas events to act as polling stations.
It means that the next 48 hours and how the EU decides to act are crucial in how the future of Brexit and a general election plays out.
Briefing in Brussels and expectations in Whitehall suggest that the final decision on the length of the ‘Brextension’ is unlikely to be made until Friday.
It can be done in writing this week if all the leaders agree, but if there is any dissent EU rules require it is deal with at a face-to-face session.
That has been pencilled in for Monday.
Mr Johnson has insisted he wants to hold a snap election if the EU dictates a long extension.
He today furiously accused MPs of handing control to Brussels after his efforts to get a Brexit deal through were thwarted – saying the bloc will now decide the country’s fate ‘on our behalf’.
Source – https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/
