Theresa May To Ask EU For Another Brexit Delay

The Guardian reports:

Theresa May is to ask for another brief Brexit extension in order to seek a compromise withdrawal plan with the Labour party, she has announced, signalling the likelihood of Downing Street backing a softer Brexit. In a brief TV statement inside No 10 following a seven-hour cabinet meeting, the prime minister said she would hold talks with Jeremy Corbyn to seek a Brexit plan they could agree on and “both stick to.”

If agreement with the Labour leader was impossible, May said, the plan would be to put to a vote in parliament a series of Brexit options, with the government committing to enact whichever idea won support. This would require another extension to article 50, May said, but added that she aimed for this to not go beyond 22 May, thus ensuring the UK would not need to take part in European elections.

“This debate, this division cannot drag on much longer… It is doing damage to our politics” – UK PM Theresa May confirms she is seeking further “short” extension to departure from EUhttps://t.co/zEeFMMJz94 #Brexit pic.twitter.com/xtLA1CVwDk

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) April 2, 2019

The EU cannot be “held hostage” to #Brexit, says French President Emmanuel Macron, warning of “tremendous difficulties” if the UK leaves the EU without a deal https://t.co/3xJuCnShIE pic.twitter.com/homZ26EfW7

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) April 2, 2019