The Prime Minister spent a little more than an hour in a question and answer session at the emergency meeting in Brussels tonight before being kicked out while they decide the UK’s fate over a lavish dinner.

The other 27 leaders of EU nations are deciding whether to give her what she wants – an extension to Article 50 to no later than June 30 – or, as seems more likely, impose a humiliating longer delay to leaving the trade bloc.

She addressed the European Council session in the Belgian capital after Emmanuel Macron had warned her that he was  ‘impatient’ and that a long Brexit delay was not guaranteed.ADVERTISING

The French president appeared to wink today as he arrived in the EU’s core – after being urged not to ‘humiliate’ the Prime Minister. 

He was set to demand the UK is subjected to a number of punitive conditions with a Christmas deadline to finally quit the trade bloc, but also raised the spectre of a no-deal Brexit, possibly on Friday.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the start of the emergency meeting of national leaders he warned that ‘nothing is settled’, including a long delay, and he was ‘impatient’ to hear what Mrs May had to say.

‘We must understand today why this request, what is the political project which justifies it and what are the clear proposals?’ he said. 

‘It is 34 months since the British referendum, and the key for us is that we are able to pursue the European project in a coherent way.

‘I believe deeply that we are carrying out a European rebirth, and I don’t want the subject of Brexit to get in the way of that.’   

Mrs May’s performance was shorter than the one she gave at the previous Brexit summit in March, where she spoke for more than 90 minutes before EU leaders dismissed her request – which was the same as the one she made tonight.

An EU official later told Reuters that the ‘sense is May is open to a longer extension as long as it can be terminated early’ and her address had been ‘more solid than usual, though not many specifics’ in it.

She used her own arrival in Brussels this afternoon to lash MPs for refusing to pass the Brexit deal, complaining ‘we should have left by now’, but dodged questions about her own future.

EU leaders are almost certain to reject her bid and force a delay lasting between December 31 this year and March 31, 2020, which could prompt her to resign.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel – whose mother Herlind Kasner passed away aged 90 just days ago –  wants a gentler, but longer extension, into 2020 – reflecting splits among the EU27 that are set to delay a ruling long into tonight. 

Arriving at the EU’s headquarters the PM refused to say if she would quit if Britain is forced to swallow a longer delay – but insisted her aim is still to leave the EU on May 22 if she can win over Jeremy Corbyn.

She said: ‘What is important is that any extension enables us to leave at the point at which we ratify our Withdrawal Agreement. I know many people will be frustrated that the summit is taking place at all. The UK should have left by now’. 

President Macron is also calling for regular ‘behaviour reviews’ of the UK, a bonfire of its EU powers and posts and a ‘Boris-proof’ lock preventing a new Tory leader causing havoc within the EU if she stands down, despite warnings from Donald Tusk and Angela Merkel not to poison relations with Britain.   Video playing bottom right…Click here to expand to full page

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Mrs May shared a joke with  German chancellor Angela Merkel tonight, ahead of the PM’s pitch to EU leaders in which she is asking for a delay to Brexit until June 30 at the latest

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Mrs May has insisted for months she does not want Britain to take part in the EU elections and as recently as last week said she wanted to avoid it.

But an email to Tory candidates earlier this evening said: ‘Due to the current situation we will be contesting the European Elections on 23 May 2019 and the closing date for nominations is 24 April.’

However, in a later email, Tory chairman Brandon Lewis U-turned on the remarks, which were made by the party’s head of candidates Gareth Fox. He suggested Mr Fox’s email was only outlining what would happen if this ambition is not achieved. ADVERTISING

Running the national election would cost the taxpayer at least £100million and force political parties to spend millions more on campaign materials. 

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Theresa May (seen outside Number 10 yesterday) has insisted for months she does not want Britain to take part in the EU elections and as recently as last week said she wanted to avoid it

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An email (left) sent this evening by Tory head of candidates Gareth Fox said Britain would take part in the European elections. But party chairman Brandon Lewis then rowed back on his remarks (right)

Mr Lewis’ email this evening read: ‘The Government’s clear policy is to leave the EU with a deal and for the necessary legislation to pass before 22 May so that the UK does not need to participate in European Parliamentary elections.

‘However, if the UK had not ratified the Withdrawal Agreement and were still a Member State of the European Union on 23 May, we would be under a legal obligation to hold the elections.

‘With the closing date for the nominations on 24 April, it is clear that we need to make contingency plans as a Part in the event of these elections going ahead.

‘This is why Gareth Fox emailed you earlier today to outline how we ensure we are prepared for any eventuality.’ 

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WITH BREXIT?

MONDAY APRIL 8: LABOUR WAIT FOR BREXIT DEAL OFFER

Theresa May paved the way for a customs union deal with Labour last night as she pledged to ‘compromise’ to ensure Brexit happens.

Ministers were out in force today repeating this message but Labour said they are waiting for an offer from the PM so talks can move forward.

Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said ‘the ball is in the Government’s court’. 

TUESDAY APRIL 9: PM’S EUROPEAN TOUR 

The Prime Minister will fly meet Angela Merkel in Berlin and then on to Paris to see Emmanuel Macron as she tried to convince European leaders to back her plea to extend Article 50 until June 30.

Donald Tusk says EU leaders should demand a delay until March 31, 2020 – but Mr Macron is said to be considering forcing the UK out of the EU unless they face ‘strict’ conditions. 

WEDNESDAY APRIL 10: EU SUMMIT

Another summit with EU leaders – where May will ask for a new delay beyond April 12. 

May’s new plan is to strike a cross-party consensus in London and persuade EU leaders it means the deal can be delivered in time for Brexit on May 22.

She may have to accept a longer extension that means holding EU elections, as Brussels has made clear this is a red line – and will take a decision on delay without Britain and it must be unanimous. 

EU officials including Michel Barnier have warned that the risk of an accidental No Deal is increasing if May arrives with no plan.

FRIDAY APRIL 12: BREXIT DAY

Britain is due to leave the EU without a deal on this date if no delay is agreed. 

In her letter to EU Council President Donald Tusk on Friday, Mrs May asked for a fresh delay to Brexit that could be cut short if the deal passes in time to avoid the election. 

The EU has insisted Britain elect new MEPs if it wants to delay Brexit by extending Article 50 – warning the UK cannot stay in the bloc for longer without them.  

The Government has tabled an order enabling EU elections to be held in Britain if the country has not left the EU by the time they take place next month.

The Day of Poll Order sets the date for the elections on May 23, but the Cabinet Office said they would automatically be cancelled if the UK left before then.

Brexiteer MPs reacted with fury after Mr Fox’s original email was leaked.  

Sources in the hardline European Research Group told MailOnline: ‘It’s good to know that Theresa May can say bad things with certainty.

‘If it’s set to destroy the party, she’s firm of purpose and pushes on. Corbyn and Barnier are very, very lucky to have her.’ 

Tory MP Bob Seely said: ‘Wish this was a week-late April foo wind-up. If true, let’s hope we pull out beforehand.

‘This is really going to wind-up our voters, and not surprisingly.’ 

In other developments today, Yvette Cooper’s backbench Bill that would force Mrs May to ask for a Brexit extension rather than leave the EU with no deal was passed by the House of Lords. 

It will now be sent back to the House of Commons where MPs will need to agree to amendments to the bill made in the Lords. 

Elsewhere, Jeremy Corbyn slammed Mrs May’s refusal to budge off her red lines tonight after the Prime Minister met Brexiteer ministers and top Tory MPs in Downing Street.

After meeting with his shadow cabinet about the state of the cross-party talks, the Labour leader said he was ‘frustrated’ the Prime Minister’s actions were not matching her calls for compromise. 

Mrs May has enraged her own side by inviting Mr Corbyn to talks on finding a compromise that can get her Brexit deal through Parliament. Downing Street and Labour have agreed to more talks between officials tonight. 

There are persistent rumours in Westminster Mrs May is poised to over Labour a permanent customs union with the EU after Brexit – despite the threat of resignations from the Brexiteer wing of her Cabinet if she effectively rules out hopes of new trade deals after Brexit.

But the concession could be the only way to get Labour behind her deal. Mr Corbyn has long demanded a permanent customs union be the basis of the final UK-EU trade deal.

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The Commons Speaker cited a Commons precedent from 1604 to inflict an extraordinary blow to Mrs May’s hopes of getting her divorce through Parliament – unless it is ‘substantially’ adapted with just ten days until Britain leaves the EU.

The PM’s Brexit plans have been left in tatters having spent days trying to convince the DUP, Tory Brexiteers and Labour rebels to back her deal at the last minute. 

Mrs May will fly to Brussels on Thursday and must get a new breakthrough from the EU before presenting it to Mr Bercow, who would have the final say on whether a new vote goes ahead.    

If she fails her deal will be killed off with No Deal or a long-term delay to Brexit the most likely outcomes on March 29. 

Mr Bercow told the Commons: ‘If the Government wishes to bring forward a new proposition that is neither the same or substantially the same as that disposed of by the House on March 12, that would be entirely in order.

‘What the Government cannot legitimately do is resubmit to the House the same proposition or substantially the same proposition that was rejected by 149 votes’. 

Asked if he was worried about the ramifications of his decision he added: ‘I’ve never lost a wink of sleep over anything work related’. 

His 11th hour decision will infuriate No 10 who admitted that he had not warned them he was giving a statement – let alone what it was about – before dropping his Brexit bombshell this afternoon.  

The PM learned the news at just after 3.30pm today and minutes later her spokesman said: ‘The Speaker did not forewarn us of the content of his statement or the fact that he was making one. We were not given any advance warning he was going to say that.’ 

Getting around Mr Bercow’s intervention could force the Government to end the current session early and hold a quick-fire State Opening of Parliament.

While technically possible it would kill off a raft of laws and proposals in progress in Parliament – many of which are Brexit related – but is a certain way to also kill off the Speaker’s bar on a new vote.

May loyalist James Cleverly confronted the Speaker and demanded to know why he had not made the ruling after the first vote on January 15 claiming MPs may have ‘voted differently’ had he spoken earlier.  

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A cross party amendment from Labour’s Hilary Benn and Yvette Cooper with Tory Oliver Letwin wanted to cancel Government business next Wednesday.

The idea was to set the stage for ‘indicative votes’ on what kind of Brexit might happen.

But the Government scraped home 314 to 312 after Theresa May’s deputy David Lidington promised MPs the Government would stage its own indicative votes after next week’s EU summit if the Brexit deal fails again. 

Mrs May is now on track to try and hold a third vote on her deal next week before heading to the latest EU Council to plead for a delay that avoids No Deal on March 29.

MPs earlier voted against a second referendum – crushing it 334 to 85 in the first Commons contest on the idea. 

Talks ahead of the third meaningful vote are focused on using the 1969 Vienna Convention to tweak legal advice – but few think Mrs May can bring 75 rebels back to the fold and over turn Tuesday night’s shattering 149-vote defeat.

Brexiteer rebels are incandescent with the Government after Remain ministers abstained last night to let a motion ruling out No Deal forever pass by 43 votes. 

Last night, the Prime Minister told Parliament she must have clarity on what it will support before she meets EU leaders in Brussels next Thursday. 

Mrs May has said if MPs have backed a deal she will ask for a short technical extension that postpones Brexit to the end of June. If they want a more fundamental change of tack she will ask for much more time.

EU leaders must agree unanimously on the terms of delay – and Britain will not get a vote on the decision at the summit.  

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Tory ministers gathered in Downing Street this afternoon for a ‘political Cabinet’ – a meeting without Civil Servants to discuss the party political ramifications of the Brexit crisis. It is first first time several ministers (including from left Amber Rudd, Greg Clark and David Gauke today) defied orders and abstained on a vote to rule out No Deal last night 

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As the wrangling intensified, the EU commission president delivered a stinging rebuke to calls from the PM to rework the insurance policy – saying it ‘cannot be removed’ from the divorce package.

He also dismissed the idea that the other states will abandon Ireland for fear of damaging their own economies, saying solidarity ‘goes to the heart of what being a member of the EU means’.

‘Ireland’s border is our border,’ he said.

But speaking in the European Parliament, Mr Juncker also admitted the threat of no deal Brexit is rising. Michel Barnier joined in the tough talk by complaining that the ‘blame game’ against the EU in the UK was ‘hard to accept’. 

Mr Juncker was greeted warmly by former Ukip leader Nigel Farage in Brussels today, despite their differences over Brexit  

Mr Coveney said Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street today) was desperately trying to ‘accommodate’ the right wing of her party despite it undermining her own position

The intervention came as Cabinet ministers played down the wall of rejection from the EU following Mrs May’s triumph in a series of Commons votes last night.

One told MailOnline that everyone needed to remain ‘calm’ as ‘noise’ from Brussels was only to be expected.

‘This is just what the EU does. It never makes any kind of deal until the last moment,’ they said.

‘We are inevitably going to get all sorts of dire warnings and blank denials.

‘It is just a lot of noise. People just need to stay calm and let the PM work.’

In a glimmer of light for Mrs May, the Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki revealed he had phoned German Chancellor Angela Merkel to urge her to find a way through the impasse.

Speaking after Mr Juncker and Mr Barnier in the European Parliament, former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said the prospect of a no-deal Brexit had increased because of the attitude of Brussels ‘fanatics’ who refused to compromise. 

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Cabinet ministers dismissed the EU’s scramble to reject Mrs May’s demands on Brexit today as ‘just what the EU does’.

European Commission president Mr Juncker and negotiator Michel Barnier led the ‘noise’ from Europe and warned last night’s showdown votes in the Commons ‘do not change’ the divorce terms.

British ministers stayed cool in the face of the rush to condemn last night’s showdown votes in Parliament that handed Mrs May a mandate to renegotiate the backstop plan for the Irish border.

They told MailOnline the EU ‘never makes any kind of deal until the last moment’ and today’s ‘blank denials’ were just ‘noise’.

In response, the Prime Minister is expected to hold off face-to-face talks for days as she undertakes a frantic round of phone diplomacy. 

Senior government sources told MailOnline Mrs May still has meetings booked in Whitehall tomorrow, and is due to be in her constituency on Friday.  

The waiting tactic emerged as ministers ramped up tensions with the EU in the wake of her Commons victory – warning that the £39billion divorce bill could be axed if it does not compromise.

Speaking in Brussels today, Mr Juncker described the Agreement reached after 18 months of negotiation last November as ‘the best and only deal possible’.

And he told MEPs in the European Parliament: ‘The debate and votes in the House of Commons yesterday do not change that.

‘The Withdrawal Agreement will not be renegotiated.’

Cabinet ministers dismissed the EU’s scramble to reject Theresa May’s demands on Brexit today as ‘just what the EU does’. Pictured are EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels today 

In response to the wall of noise from Brussels, the Prime Minister (pictured today at PMQs) is expected to hold off face-to-face talks for days as she undertakes a frantic round of phone diplomacy.

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EU Council President Donald Tusk suggested if MPs cannot agree a deal and don’t want to crash out without one, they should consider reversing the historic vote.

While EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned that ‘time is almost up’ as he announced no deal planning will be ramped up in the wake of the defeat.

He made a dash back to Brussels for emergency Brexit meetings as the deal was voted down by 432 votes to 202 – meaning a staggering 230 MPs voted against her. 

Mr Tusk said: ‘If a deal is impossible, and no one wants no deal, then who will finally have the courage to say what the only positive solution is?’  

Mr Juncker said: ‘The risk of a disorderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom has increased with this evening’s vote. 

‘While we do not want this to happen, the European Commission will continue its contingency work to help ensure the EU is fully prepared.

‘I urge the United Kingdom to clarify its intentions as soon as possible. Time is almost up.’ 

While Guy Verhoftstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit chief, accused British of MPs of not nowing what they want.

He tweeted: ‘The UK Parliament has said what it doesn’t want. Now is the time to find out what UK parliamentarians want. 

‘In the meantime, the rights of citizens must be safeguarded.’ 

The PM’s official spokesman said there are ‘no plans’ for her to meet with Mr Juncker tomorrow.

But she is under huge pressure from all sides to head back to the negotiating table in Brussels to tear up the hated Irish backstop. 

MEPs in the European Parliament will debate the state of the Brexit deal tomorrow morning.

It comes as Germany promised to launch a fresh round of Brexit talks.

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