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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: Will your party see this deadline as a trick or a treat? | |
| May says the UK could have been out by 29 March if MPs had backed her deal. | |
| Now they must all work to get a majority in parliament, and to deliver on the referendum, she says. | |
| Q: Tusk suggested the UK could get a further extension after October. Can you assure people Brexit will actually happen? | |
| May says she is very clear that it must happen. She is working to get a majority in parliament. | |
| And that’s it. The press conference is over. | |
| Q: Yesterday 177 Tory MPs refused to accept your plan for an extension running until the end of June. Now you have agreed one until the end of October. How can you stay as party leader? | |
| May says she wants to get an agreement as soon as possible. | |
| Q: We could have left this week. You have promised we would be out by various dates, and now it is October. Don’t you owe the country and apology? | |
| May says she has voted for her Brexit deal three times. She will continue to work to get it ratified as soon as possible. | |
| Q: Can the 31 October be extended again? And what conditions are attached? | |
| May says the UK will continue to abide by its obligations, and by the duty of sincere cooperation. | |
| The deadline is now to achieve Brexit by October. | |
| Q: You said a few days ago that you would not delay Brexit beyond 30 June. But you have agreed to this. So why should you be the person to preside over this. | |
| May says what has been agreed tonight will allow the UK to leave before the end of June. | |
| Theresa May says she has agreed her extension. | |
| She says she wants the UK to leave the EU as soon as possible. | |
| The EU has agreed that, if the withdrawal agreement is passed before the end of October, it will be able to leave. So if it can be passed in the first three weeks of May, the UK will be able to leave on 1 June. | |
| She says she will make a statement to MPs tomorrow. And talks with Labour will continue. | |
| She says it will not be easy. But MPs have a duty to break the deadlock. | |
| Here is the full text of the summit conclusions (pdf). | |
| Q: What is the point of the sincere cooperation clause? | |
| Tusk says EU leaders want a political declaration that the UK would cooperate seriously. | |
| Juncker says this is a reference to treaty obligations. | |
| He says there is some talk of the UK being able to block EU decisions. He says they had heard voices to this effect. [He is referring to people like Jacob Rees-Mogg and Mark Francois.] But there is nothing new about this, he says. | |
| He says the opportunities for the UK to block decisions “are very, very limited’, he says. | |
| Juncker says they will have Brexit with a deal. But it would be better to have a deal, and no Brexit, he says. | |
| Tusk says at least they have reached an agreement here. That does not happen in the British parliament, he says. | |
| And that’s it. The press conference is over. | |
| Theresa May is due to hold her own press conference shortly. | |
| Q: What is the point of the review in June? | |
| Tusk says point of the review in June is to inform EU leaders what is happening. It is not a point of decision. | |
| Juncker says in June they will just be taking stock. | |
| Tusk says June is not a cliff edge, or a moment to take new decisions. | |
| Tusk plays down prospect of the EU ending the extension in June under the review procedure. | |
| 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? | 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. | 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 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 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European commission, is speaking now. |
| He says the commission is happy with this outcome. | 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, 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 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 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 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: | 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. | Please, do not waste this time. |
| Here are two EU leaders on the article 50 extension decision. | Here are two EU leaders on the article 50 extension decision. |
| From the Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar | 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 ! | 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 | 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. | 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. | 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 | 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 |