Day: March 22, 2019

    Now those same MPs are in the driving seat. There was an embryonic sliver of almost regret from the PM over her frustration with the delay in that extraordinary statement. At times it was difficult to imagine that the prime minister who presented her delay compromise to the media in Brussels was the same one who had a day previously launched an uncompromising attack on the Commons for blocking her deal, and promised no lengthy delay. But here in Brussels after a day of behind-closed-doors drama, the PM had to accept a path to a long delay she had ruled out the day before, and that a short delay would be far shorter than she had hoped. Because this was the EU itself setting the terms and calendar of the Article 50 extension. The image of the day was the representat...

    EU leaders have granted Theresa May's request to delay Brexit, giving the UK a two-tier extension. After crunch talks at a summit in Brussels that ran late into the night, the premiers formally announced 29 March 2019 should be scrapped as the date Britain will leave the EU. They softened the immediate threat of a no-deal divorce by offering a delay until 22 May if MPs pass the prime minister's Brexit deal by the end of next week. But if parliament rejects it again in meaningful vote three, the UK faces a new hard deadline on 12 April. At that point it must indicate a way forward including asking for a long Brexit delay and to take part in the EU Parliament elections - or fall out of the bloc with no deal. Mrs May pressed her case for a delay to EU leaders earlie...