UK PM May asks EU for Brexit delay until June 30

By Alistair Smout and Jan Strupczewski

 

British Prime Minister Theresa May is seen outside Downing Street in London, Britain, April 3, 2019. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

 

LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May wrote to European Council President Donald Tusk on Friday asking for a delay of Brexit until up to June 30, but said she still hopes to get Britain out of the EU earlier to avoid it participating in European elections.

 

Britain is now due to leave the EU in a week, but May has been forced to seek more time after Britain's divided parliament failed to approve a withdrawal agreement.

 

"The United Kingdom proposes that this period should end on 30 June 2019," May said in the letter. Such a long extension means Britain would be required to hold elections for the European parliament.

 

 

May said Britain would prepare for such an election, but she still hoped that an agreement would be reached sooner, allowing the extension to be ended early.

 

"The government will want to agree a timetable for ratification that allows the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union before 23 May 2019 and therefore cancel the European Parliament elections, but will continue to make responsible preparations to hold the elections should this not prove possible," she said.

 

The chairman of European Union leaders, Donald Tusk, is likely to offer Britain a flexible extension of the date of its departure from the EU of up to one year, with the possibility of leaving sooner, a senior EU official said.

 

The official said the option could be presented to May at the EU summit on Brexit on April 10 in Brussels.

 

"The only reasonable way out would be a long but flexible extension. I would call it a 'flextension'," the official said.

 

"We could give the UK a year-long extension, automatically terminated once the Withdrawal Agreement has been accepted and ratified by the House of Commons," the official said.

 

"And even if this were not possible, then the UK would still have enough time to rethink its Brexit strategy. A short extension if possible, and a long one if necessary. It seems to be a good scenario for both sides, as it gives the UK all the necessary flexibility, while avoiding the need to meet every few weeks to further discuss Brexit extensions."

 

Britain's exit from the EU, nearly three years since the country voted to leave the bloc, is now in doubt because the British parliament cannot decide what exit terms it wants.

 

May offered to quit to get her deal passed but it was defeated for a third time last Friday, the day Britain was originally due to leave the EU.

 

She is now in talks with opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to find a way out of the deadlock, but it is not clear if they can find a solution in the next few days.

 

European officials say a request for an extension would have to be backed by sound arguments why the EU should grant it.

 

"If we are not able to understand the reason why the UK is asking for an extension, we cannot give a positive answer," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told reporters in Bucharest, when asked about the possible 12-month extension.

 

(Reporting By Jan Strupczewski, Gabriela Baczynska, Francesco Guarascio, Alistair Smout and Michael Holden, Writing by Peter Graff, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-05

 

 

The eu have continually said that they would not allow an extension beyond the 12th April (unless uk MPs agree to their deal).

 

Why are they changing their mind?

Edited April 5, 20197 yr by dick dasterdly

No doubt a remain poster will be along soon to say it is because they feel sorry for the uk.....

6 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

No doubt a remain poster will be along soon to say it is because they feel sorry for the uk.....

 

You still don't get it do you?

 

Still unable to acknowledge reality

 

Once more for your poor confused, deluded, brain:

 

The EU will allow as many deadlines, extensions and suspensions as are needed to give the UK time to change its mind about leaving.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 20197 yr by Enoon

Help me out Brexiteers.

 

Isn’t this the bit where the EU is supposed to be begging the UK?

 

 

The sequence of events:

 

 Delay.....a few weeks or months

 

Postpone......a year or two

 

Finally.......Cancel

12 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Help me out Brexiteers.

 

Isn’t this the bit where the EU is supposed to be begging the UK?

 

 

Not as long as the uk govt. is doing everything in it's power to remain within the eu.....

Money..money..money..the UK taxpayers money

The eu have continually said that they would not allow an extension beyond the 12th April (unless uk MPs agree to their deal).
 
Why are they changing their mind?

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They need UK TAXPAYERS MONEY..got it now?

Help me out Brexiteers.
 
Isn’t this the bit where the EU is supposed to be begging the UK?
 
 

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Isn’t this the bit where the EU is supposed to be begging the UK?

No begging required as the EU has us in exactly the place they and their British Remainers want us. Still a member and still contributing!!

They would have cut us off last week if they did not need the 9 billion annually. Guardian and Mail say they will offer a 12 month ‘flextension’ while the Daily Express says up to 5 years.

27 minutes ago, malagateddy said:

Money..money..money..the UK taxpayers money

 

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Again; so why aren't they begging?

They just like the contributions from unfortunately theUK taxpayers..not for long though

Again; so why aren't they begging?

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1 minute ago, Becker said:

Again; so why aren't they begging?

Why would they when the brit. govt. is doing everything within their power to pay them a huge sum. and remain within the eu?

1 hour ago, dick dasterdly said:

The eu have continually said that they would not allow an extension beyond the 12th April (unless uk MPs agree to their deal).

 

Why are they changing their mind?

 

54 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

You still don't get it do you?

 

Still unable to acknowledge reality

 

Once more for your poor confused, deluded, brain:

 

The EU will allow as many deadlines, extensions and suspensions as are needed to give the UK time to change its mind about leaving.

 

 

 

 

 

I knew a remain poster would be along shortly to say that the eu had changed it's mind 'cos they cared about the uk ????!

Just now, malagateddy said:

They just like the contributions from unfortunately theUK taxpayers..not for long though

 

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We shall see. It's not too late to undo the astoundingly stupid mistake that is Brexit. 

 

PS. And to think you acted as spelling police towards a poster that got the spelling of a word wrong when your post is barely readable due to grammatical blunders...

We shall see. It's not too late to undo the astoundingly stupid mistake that is Brexit. 
 
PS. And to think you acted as spelling police towards a poster that got the spelling of a word wrong when your post is barely readable due to grammatical blunders...

Well spotted

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8 minutes ago, Becker said:

Again; so why aren't they begging?

 

I repeat....

 

 

1 hour ago, dick dasterdly said:

The eu have continually said that they would not allow an extension beyond the 12th April (unless uk MPs agree to their deal).

 

Why are they changing their mind?

 

6 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Why would they when the brit. govt. is doing everything within their power to pay them a huge sum. and remain within the eu?

 

5 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

 

I knew a remain poster would be along shortly to say that the eu had changed it's mind 'cos they cared about the uk ????!

The EU is somewhat weaker without the UK as one of it's members. The UK OTOH is in a pool of faeces if they withdraw.....well, at least until they can negotiate those wonderful trade agreements with Guyana, Yemen and Sudan.

Edited April 5, 20197 yr by Becker

The EU always reminds me of the old Soviet Union, which in fact is what it’s based on with its top down rule by unelected commissioners, five year plans and what they politely termed a, ‘democratic deficiency.’ A takeover coup by the socialist political elite. Open borders, economic chaos and more than one bankrupt country propped up by IMF loans. It was never meant to work; you can’t collectivize countries by a small private group of people, which is what the EU is and expect them to all rise together and so they all fall together – the lowest common denominator principle. That now produces the backlash of some countries building fences and right wing extremism. A Europe built on the failed ideologies of multiculturalism, diversity and equality using Gramscian cultural Marxism (identity politics), was never going to succeed.

Brexit the movie

BREXIT European Union | The Facts Behind Liberal Fascism

 

1 hour ago, Becker said:

Again; so why aren't they begging?

Better still why haven,t they told us to piss off ???

They need the money..BUG TIME..just watch the small print..eg..UK must have Ref2..or some other b/s.

Better still why haven,t they told us to piss off ???

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The nasty EU and central banks are directing this

Westminster Panto, 'Vested Interest and the Fake Brexit'.

May takes the leading role as the arse-end of the donkey,

trying desperately to convince everyone there is a happy

ending.  However, the 27 Ugly Sisters will never let Cinders

UK go to the ball. 

Many UK citizens do not wish to become citizens of the united states of europe..how do you vote out the unelected by the citizens eu commissioners?
At least you can kick out sny UK Govt every few years.
BIG IS NOT BEAUTIFUL..especially in politics

We shall see. It's not too late to undo the astoundingly stupid mistake that is Brexit. 
 
PS. And to think you acted as spelling police towards a poster that got the spelling of a word wrong when your post is barely readable due to grammatical blunders...

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1 hour ago, Becker said:

The EU is somewhat weaker without the UK as one of it's members. The UK OTOH is in a pool of faeces if they withdraw.....well, at least until they can negotiate those wonderful trade agreements with Guyana, Yemen and Sudan.

Don't kid yourself, trade will continue as Britain is their biggest customer

35 minutes ago, keithsimmonds said:

Better still why haven,t they told us to piss off ???

Exactly.  It looks as if they are going to agree to yet another extension - even though they'd previously said that this would not happen......

4 minutes ago, stag4 said:

Don't kid yourself, trade will continue as Britain is their biggest customer

Of course it will continue but on much less favourable terms than before. And make no mistake, the big loser will be the UK.

Dream on becker..germany is teetering into recession..2 big grrman banks talking about merging ?

Of course it will continue but on much less favourable terms than before. And make no mistake, the big loser will be the UK.

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6 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Exactly.  It looks as if they are going to agree to yet another extension - even though they'd previously said that this would not happen......

All to give the " vasal status A 50 " to get signed ...the E.U. favorite … ( "das Englandspiel" Version 0.2)

Ideal shaped for the Brits , pay but no say ...

 

Edited April 5, 20197 yr by david555

2 minutes ago, Becker said:

Of course it will continue but on much less favourable terms than before. And make no mistake, the big loser will be the UK.

Which is why they insisted that a short- term deal would not be allowed.

 

Far better to 'lock' the uk into another budget period.....  And the brit. govt. is happy to go along with this.....

4 minutes ago, malagateddy said:

Dream on becker..germany is teetering into recession..2 big grrman banks talking about merging ?

 

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Sorry to burst your bubble but that doesn't change this simple fact:

 

UK population: 67 mill.

EU population: 450 mill.

 

Game, set and match: EU