- The UK and the EU have agreed on a flexible extension of Brexit until 31 October.
- A Brexit extension only as long as necessary and no longer than 31 October to allow for the ratification of the withdrawal agreement
- The UK must hold the elections to the European Parliament and if it fails to do this, the UK will leave on 1 June.
- The European Council reiterates there can be no reopening of the withdrawal agreement negotiations.
- On Thursday, the PM will make a statement in the House of Commons Talks between the government and Labour are also due to continue.
According to an article published in BBC, after five hours of talks at an EU summit in Brussels, European Council president Donald Tusk said his “message to British friends” was “please do not waste this time“.
Aim to leave soon
Theresa May said the UK would still aim to leave the EU as soon as possible. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the UK must now hold European elections in May, or leave on 1 June without a deal.
Prime Minister Mrs. May had earlier told leaders she wanted to move the UK’s exit date from this Friday to 30 June, with the option of leaving earlier if her withdrawal agreement was ratified by Parliament.
Mr. Tusk emerged from the talks – and a subsequent meeting with Mrs. May – to address reporters at a news conference at 02:15 local time (01:15 BST).
The choice rests with the UK
He said: “The course of action will be entirely in the UK’s hands: they can still ratify the withdrawal agreement, in which case the extension can be terminated.”
Mr. Tusk said the UK could also rethink its strategy or choose to “cancel Brexit altogether“.
He added: “Let me finish with a message to our British friends: This extension is as flexible as I expected, and a little bit shorter than I expected, but it’s still enough to find the best possible solution. Please do not waste this time.”
Possibility of election
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said: “There will probably be a European election in the UK – that might seem a bit odd, but rules are rules and we must respect European law and then we will see what happens.”
Mrs. May then spoke to reporters at 02:45 local time (01:45 BST). She said that although the delay extends until 31 October, the UK can leave before then if MPs pass her withdrawal deal.
“I know that there is huge frustration from many people that I had to request this extension,” she said.
“The UK should have left the EU by now and I sincerely regret the fact that I have not yet been able to persuade Parliament to approve a deal.”
She added: “I do not pretend the next few weeks will be easy, or there is a simple way to break the deadlock in Parliament. But we have a duty as politicians to find a way to fulfill the democratic decision of the referendum, deliver Brexit and move our country forward. Nothing is more pressing or more vital.”
The PM said that the UK “will continue to hold full membership rights and obligations [of the EU]” during the delay.
Divided over decision
The EU had been split over the length of delay to offer the UK an,d by law they had to reach a unanimous decision. Although other EU countries backed a longer delay, French President Emmanuel Macron pushed for a shorter extension.
Mrs. May was called back into the summit after EU leaders had talked for five hours to find their compromise solution. Before that, Mrs. May had given a one-hour presentation putting forward her argument for the extension date to be 30 June.
This was the second time Mrs. May has gone to the EU to ask for a Brexit extension. So far, MPs have rejected the withdrawal agreement Mrs. May reached with other European leaders last year and the House of Commons has also voted against leaving without a deal.
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Source: BBC
