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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/apr/10/brexit-eu-to-decide-on-uk-extension-live-news
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EU leaders agree to delay Brexit until 31 October – live news | EU leaders agree to delay Brexit until 31 October – live news |
(32 minutes later) | |
Q: You said the extension was shorter than you expected. Isn’t it the worst of all words? Not short enough to force the issue, but not long enough to allow real change? | |
Tusk says it is better to have something than nothing. | |
He says six months “could be enough for a good solution if there is goodwill” and a majority for a solution in the Commons. | |
He says he is generally satisfied. He says the idea of a flexible extension was not so obvious to some EU leaders. | |
He says the intention is to finalise this in October. That is the wish and the hope. | |
But he says he is too old to exclude another scenario. Everything is possible, he says. | |
Tusk does not rule out EU agreeing a further article 50 extension in October. | |
Juncker says a no-deal Brexit would have been a disaster. | |
He says he likes the decision. The end date has been fixed for 31 October. He says he is due to leave his job on 1 November. | |
Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European commission, is speaking now. | |
He says the commission is happy with this outcome. | |
He says, although the UK will remain a member, sometimes the EU27 will meet as 27. | |
He says there is precedent for this. He says he originally proposed that the Eurogroup of countries should meet on their own. At the time there was opposition to this, but it made sense. | |
He says there will probably be a European election in the UK. | |
He says people think they only talk about Brexit at the EU. When he reads the British press it is just Brexit, Brexit, Brexit. | |
But the EU has reached an agreement with China this week. But this was not widely reported. | |
Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, says the EU has decided to grant the UK a flexible extension until 31 October. | |
During this time, what happens will be in the hands of the UK. It can ratify the withdrawal agreement, and leave. It can change strategy, although not the withdrawal agreement. Or it can decide to revoke. | |
He says the UK will remain a friend of the EU. | |
He says this extension is shorter than he expected, but long enough to allow the UK to find a solution. He ends: | |
Please, do not waste this time. | |
Here are two EU leaders on the article 50 extension decision. | |
From the Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar | |
And we’re done. (1) Flextension to Oct 31st (2) We’ll take stock of situation at our regular summit in June (3) UK to take part in @Europarl_EN election or must leave on June 1st without a deal. Good night ! | |
From Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Danish prime minister | |
One more chance for the UK. Managed to avoid a #NoDealBrexit tonight. New deadline 31.10. Up to the UK to find solutions. | |
Sky’s Faisal Islam has more on the legal process that will lead to Brexit being delayed. | |
It’s official ... when published in Official Journal of EU tomorrow as an official EU Council decision (probably after a formal letter confirming agreement for Tim Barrow) the EU law Brexit date will be changed to October 31st... Govt will then table U.K. law SI & No Deal off. https://t.co/0ptmx7VB1E | |
From ITV’s Paul Brand | |
Understand PM now on phone to cabinet members. | |
The main Tusk/Juncker press conference will take place in about 10 minutes. | |
LIVE in +/- 10 min - Press Conference at the end of the #EUCO meetingby @eucopresident Tusk FOLOW it here: https://t.co/xIsePLiT1A#Brexit extension | |
Donald Tusk, the European council president, has posted this on Twitter. | |
EU27/UK have agreed a flexible extension until 31 October. This means additional six months for the UK to find the best possible solution. | |
This means Theresa May has accepted the offer. | |
Which means quite soon we should get the press conferences ... | |
Speaking on ITV’s Peston earlier this evening, John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said he thought that the government/Labour talks intended to establish a Brexit compromise had the potential to produce a deal, but that so far there there were still “fundamental disagreements” between the two sides about the future relationship between the UK and the EU. | Speaking on ITV’s Peston earlier this evening, John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said he thought that the government/Labour talks intended to establish a Brexit compromise had the potential to produce a deal, but that so far there there were still “fundamental disagreements” between the two sides about the future relationship between the UK and the EU. |
He said that officials on both sides would be holding talks later on Thursday. And there was a possibility of the politicians meeting again on Friday, he said. | He said that officials on both sides would be holding talks later on Thursday. And there was a possibility of the politicians meeting again on Friday, he said. |
Here is some more comment on the 31 October decision. | Here is some more comment on the 31 October decision. |
From Sky’s Lewis Goodall | From Sky’s Lewis Goodall |
I’m just gonna say it now. If we don’t have an election or referendum before then we will be back here in the week of the 31st October and repeating all of this again. | I’m just gonna say it now. If we don’t have an election or referendum before then we will be back here in the week of the 31st October and repeating all of this again. |
From the Telegraph’s Gordon Rayner | From the Telegraph’s Gordon Rayner |
To sum up:- EU imposes Oct 31 Brexit delay on UK- Britain to take part in EU elections- Pressure on May to quit before October to allow new leader to lead party into annual conference- Brexiteer outrage at Britain having to elect MEPs 3yrs after referendum | To sum up:- EU imposes Oct 31 Brexit delay on UK- Britain to take part in EU elections- Pressure on May to quit before October to allow new leader to lead party into annual conference- Brexiteer outrage at Britain having to elect MEPs 3yrs after referendum |
From the Times’s Bruno Waterfield | From the Times’s Bruno Waterfield |
Nota bene31 Oct is not a final, final Brexit date (not least because its All Souls Day). There's a scheduled #EUCO on 17 Oct that could extend. 31 Mar 2020 is still the default end date - as before an expected April #EUCO to thrash out 2021-2027 EU budgets | Nota bene31 Oct is not a final, final Brexit date (not least because its All Souls Day). There's a scheduled #EUCO on 17 Oct that could extend. 31 Mar 2020 is still the default end date - as before an expected April #EUCO to thrash out 2021-2027 EU budgets |
Some minor changes are being made to the extension plan, ITV’s Paul Brand and Le Soir’s Jurek Kuczkiewicz report. | Some minor changes are being made to the extension plan, ITV’s Paul Brand and Le Soir’s Jurek Kuczkiewicz report. |
Hearing PM disagreed with some of the detail of EU27’s plan, so Tusk has had to go back to them. We may be a little while longer yet. | Hearing PM disagreed with some of the detail of EU27’s plan, so Tusk has had to go back to them. We may be a little while longer yet. |
#Euco conclusions yet being slightly amended? Tusk currently finalizing agreement with May. But the main points (31OCT+ June review) agreed. Review will simply mean a report by Tusk. Wording being slightly enhanced on UK sincere cooperation. (Dipl source) | #Euco conclusions yet being slightly amended? Tusk currently finalizing agreement with May. But the main points (31OCT+ June review) agreed. Review will simply mean a report by Tusk. Wording being slightly enhanced on UK sincere cooperation. (Dipl source) |
Emmanuel Macron will not be holding a press conference tonight, Catherine Nicholson from France24 reports. | Emmanuel Macron will not be holding a press conference tonight, Catherine Nicholson from France24 reports. |
I *think* this is the first time Emmanuel Macron hasn’t done a formal press conference after an EU summit.Still waiting for info on Tusk/May tête-à-tête #Brexit #Brextension #EUCO #F24 | I *think* this is the first time Emmanuel Macron hasn’t done a formal press conference after an EU summit.Still waiting for info on Tusk/May tête-à-tête #Brexit #Brextension #EUCO #F24 |
The Sun’s Steve Hawkes agrees. | The Sun’s Steve Hawkes agrees. |
On a serious note, six months is possibly the worst outcome for business. Not going to unlock any investment and keeps that huge cloud over UK PLC. IMHO the Govt owes it to the nation to sort this by its original deadline of June 30 one way or the other | On a serious note, six months is possibly the worst outcome for business. Not going to unlock any investment and keeps that huge cloud over UK PLC. IMHO the Govt owes it to the nation to sort this by its original deadline of June 30 one way or the other |
This is from Mujtaba Rahman, the former EU official who produces well-regarded Brexit analysis for the Euraasia Group consultancy. | This is from Mujtaba Rahman, the former EU official who produces well-regarded Brexit analysis for the Euraasia Group consultancy. |
Worst of all worlds? Big enough kick to take pressure off Govt/MPs. Not long enough for meaningful political change in UK (leadership election & GE). But avoids accident ahead of EP elex; keeps Brexit off EU agenda over Summer when leaders decide on top jobs & mandate of next COM https://t.co/lE7pnkytbk | Worst of all worlds? Big enough kick to take pressure off Govt/MPs. Not long enough for meaningful political change in UK (leadership election & GE). But avoids accident ahead of EP elex; keeps Brexit off EU agenda over Summer when leaders decide on top jobs & mandate of next COM https://t.co/lE7pnkytbk |
Jack Blanchard from Politico Europe has some good news for MPs. | Jack Blanchard from Politico Europe has some good news for MPs. |
The most important news of the night. A Brexit extension means Easter recess is ON, and starts tomorrow afternoon pic.twitter.com/aXeYA5TWZY | The most important news of the night. A Brexit extension means Easter recess is ON, and starts tomorrow afternoon pic.twitter.com/aXeYA5TWZY |
By tomorrow afternoon Blanchard means Thursday afternoon. | By tomorrow afternoon Blanchard means Thursday afternoon. |
Ministers were planning to ask MPs to sit on Friday, and on Monday and on Tuesday next week. But those plans have now been scrapped, and the Easter recess starts at the end of proceedings later today. | Ministers were planning to ask MPs to sit on Friday, and on Monday and on Tuesday next week. But those plans have now been scrapped, and the Easter recess starts at the end of proceedings later today. |