EU leaders poised to grant longer Brexit delay

European Union leaders were poised to grant British Prime Minister Theresa May a longer extension to Brexit than she sought when they met for an emergency summit in Brussels on Wednesday.

The prime minister was expected to repeat her request to delay Britain's exit from the bloc until June 30, with the possibility of an earlier departure if the United Kingdom's withdrawal deal is ratified.

Prior to the summit, European Council President Donald Tusk called for the discussion of an alternative, longer extension, such as a "flexible extension" lasting "as long as necessary and no longer than one year".

After May's failed bid to convince leaders of her plan to break the Brexit deadlock, in meetings in Paris and Berlin on Tuesday, Tusk signaled EU politicians' lack of faith in her cross-party talks and set the EU on track to instead extend Britain's membership until March 2020.

In a letter to the remaining 27 EU member states, Tusk wrote: "The flexibility would allow to terminate the extension automatically, as soon as both sides have ratified the Withdrawal Agreement. The UK would be free to leave whenever it is ready. And the EU27 would avoid repeated Brexit summits."

"Importantly, a long extension would provide more certainty and predictability by removing the threat of constantly shifting cliff-edge dates.

"Furthermore, in the event of a continued stalemate, such a longer extension would allow the UK to rethink its Brexit strategy."

Tusk added: "Neither side should be allowed to feel humiliated at any stage in this difficult process".

May is facing a bitter backlash within her party over the likelihood of a long delay to Brexit and participation in EU elections, especially if that leads to any sort of deal with Labour involving a customs union.

Four Cabinet ministers - Andrea Leadsom, Chris Grayling, Liam Fox and Geoffrey Cox - were among more than half of Conservative Members of Parliament who refused to back a June extension to article 50 in a vote on Tuesday.

The prime minister was expected to seek to convince EU leaders about the credibility of talks with Labour and prove they are a genuine political plan that has a chance of getting the UK out of its muddle.

But, in a damning indictment of Downing Street's strategy, Tusk claimed the EU's "experience so far, as well as the deep divisions within the House of Commons, give us little reason to believe that the ratification process can be completed by the end of June".

Based on the outcome of the Brussels summit, May will outline her plans to the UK's Parliament on Thursday. If the EU does not to agree to any extension on Wednesday, Britain would be forced to leave without a deal on Friday evening.

jonathan@mail.chinadailyuk.com

(China Daily 04/11/2019 page12)