Merkel and May looked serious as they spoke privately
Theresa May’s last-ditch European tour to beg for a short Brexit extension has failed with the EU now expected to demand Britain stays in the bloc until at least December 31
Theresa May’s last-ditch European tour to beg for a short Brexit extension has failed with the EU now expected to demand Britain stays in the bloc for at least another eight-month ‘flextension’ that will be subject to ‘strict conditions’, it was revealed today.
EU Council President Donald Tusk tonight recommended that the bloc consider a long delay of at least a year because he believes Mrs May has little hope of getting an agreement on her deal.
It came after Mrs May first flew to Berlin to ask Angela Merkel to back her plea for Article 50 to be extended from this Friday to June 30 but the German Chancellor told her early 2020 was her preference.
The Prime Minister is now leaving Paris after talks with Emmanuel Macron, where the French President is understood to have climbed down from his No Deal threat but told her Britain must stay until Christmas.ADVERTISING
Macron also wants ‘compliance checks’ on Britain’s behaviour every three months until then, with the threat of ejecting the UK without a deal if Brussels thinks the UK is being disruptive. This measure is designed to stop a new British Prime Minister, such as Boris Johnson, causing trouble within the EU in an attempt to be released early.
To counter this threat, the EU will ‘Boris-proof’ any Brexit delay and refuse to let the UK have any say in future EU budget talks and trade deals in case a new Brexiteer Tory leader starts wreaking havoc, it was revealed today.
The PM’s 11th hour trips to Berlin and Paris, which critics have called a humiliating ‘begging tour’, got off to a bad start when Mrs May arrived to find nobody waiting for her on the red carpet after Mrs Merkel, who normally greets guests on arrival, stayed inside.
And later the pair had a frosty-looking exchange on a balcony overlooking Berlin’s Tiergarten, although the German Chancellor was all smiles when she waved off the Prime Minister.
Ahead of tomorrow’s crucial summit, EU Council President Donald Tusk urged the 27 leaders to consider a long delay because there was ‘little reason’ to believe the deal would be passed by MPs before the end of June.
He said Brexit should be put off by ‘no longer than one year’ with Britain allowed to leave if and when the deal does somehow get through Parliament.
The PM is hoping that her cross-party talks with Labour will convince EU leaders to give her a short extension to Article 50 at a summit in Brussels in Wednesday, before Britain leaves the bloc with No Deal by default on Friday.
But discussions with Jeremy Corbyn do not appear to be making any progress with minister Dr Liam Fox warning Mrs May that the customs union with the EU Labour is demanding would be the ‘worst of both worlds’ and EU leaders are growing tired of repeated extension requests.
Talks between the Government and Labour broke up at 5pm and will not resume until Thursday, Downing Street announced.
EU leaders are preparing to impose a long delay to Brexit until as late as March 31 2020, are fearful that a new Brexiteer Prime Minister, such as Boris Johnson, could cause havoc within the EU during this time.
As Mrs May sat down with the French President, MPs voted 420 to 110 to endorse her proposed delay. The vote was required after pro-EU MPs seized the Commons agenda and forced through laws designed to avoid No Deal.
+28
The Prime Minister is now in Paris for talks with Emmanuel Macron (pictured arriving tonight), where the French President is understood to be ready to climb down from his No Deal threat but tell her Britain must stay until Christmas.
+28
Macron will also demand ‘compliance checks’ on Britain’s behaviour every three months until then, with the threat of ejecting the UK without a deal if Brussels thinks the UK is being disruptive.