EU agrees to Brexit delay if Parliament passes proposed Withdrawal Agreement

THE EU will allow Britain’s Prime Minister to delay Brexit for a short time if Parliament backs the Withdrawal Agreement twice rejected by MPs, the bloc’s Council President said.

Donald Tusk said an extension was possible but only if the deal struck between Brussels and London in November is approved next week.

It comes after Theresa May wrote to Tusk requesting that the date of Britain’s departure from the bloc be pushed back to Sunday June 30. Britain is currently scheduled to leave the EU on Friday March 29 with or without a deal in place.

“Even if the hope for final success may seem frail, even illusory, and although Brexit fatigue is increasingly visible and justified, we cannot give up seeking- until the very last moment- a positive solution,” Tusk said on Twitter.

Even if the hope for final success may seem frail, even illusory, and although Brexit fatigue is increasingly visible and justified, we cannot give up seeking – until the very last moment – a positive solution. #euco

— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) March 20, 2019

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His comments come as MPs in Westminster are currently holding an emergency debate ahead of Brexit day a week on Friday.

May said at Prime Minister’s Questions that MPs had “indulged” themselves in Europe for too long and added that voters deserved better.

“It would be a failure in delivering the referendum decision this House said it would deliver,” May said.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said May and her Conservative government had presided over “chaos” and “crisis” in the run up to Brexit day.

“Months of running down the clock and a concerted campaign of blackmail, bullying and bribery has failed to convince the House or the country that her deal is anything but a damaging national failure that should be rejected,” Corbyn said.