Brexit: Theresa May will not ask the EU to extend her term

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Theresa May will not ask the EU for a long delay when she will formally request that the Brexit be postponed.

Downing Street said the prime minister shared the public's "frustration" with "Parliament's inability to make a decision".

BBC deputy political editor Norman Smith said the delay would not be beyond the end of June.

A minister told the BBC that it would be the "wrong choice" and a "crazy surrender to extremists" within the conservative party.

Under the current legislation, the UK will leave the EU – with or without agreement – within nine days.

The Prime Minister is expected to send a letter asking for a deadline for Brexit later, before the EU summit on Thursday, during which she will discuss the issue with her fellow leaders.

Michel Barnier, negotiator for Brexit, said the EU would not grant it without a "concrete plan" from the UK on its use.

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Explaining that Ms May "will not ask for a long extension" when she writes to the EU, issue number 10 says: "There is enough to give Parliament a little more time to get up and running. agree on the way forward, but the people of this country have been waiting for almost three years now.

"They are tired of Parliament's inability to make a decision and the Prime Minister shares their frustration".

The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said that there could be an extra summit on Brexit next week.

But a tweet from his spokesperson stated that his patience was "exhausted" and that the withdrawal agreement would not be negotiated.

When its letter to the European Union is published, the final wording will be decisive: will it ever rule out the need for a longer period?

Will the text be clear that if Parliament does not meet its second deadline, the Prime Minister will argue in favor of a departure without an agreement? In the end, remember that the decision on the duration and conditions attached lies with the EU and not the UK.

But as things stand, the Prime Minister seems to be stepping up pressure in the coming weeks in the hope of getting her agreement accepted by a reluctant Parliament, rather than accepting that the dilemma and level of disagreement are so deep, that a longer reflection could be what is required.

• Read Laura's latest blog here

This comes after deputies rejected the withdrawal deal that Ms. May negotiated with the EU for the second time last week with 149 votes. They also voted in favor of the decision to reject the abandonment of the EU without agreement and the extension of the Brexit process.

The prime minister had hoped for a third attempt for MPs to back his deal – but President John Bercow actually torpedoed him with his surprise intervention.

He added that a third "significant vote" could not take place in the coming days if it was a "substantially identical motion".

US Secretary of State for Education Damian Hinds told the BBC that MPs must "approve" an agreement on Brexit, although it does not provide for any other vote before the ministers have "some confidence" in the victory.

"You can not continue to hit the ball further and further down the street," he told Radio 4 today. "You have to take and run with her."

But an unidentified cabinet colleague told the BBC that asking for such a short delay was "weak, weak, weak".

"This greatly increases the risk of a lack of agreement," they said. "Her most extravagant badignment to the hardest to date.She knows it's not the right choice for the country, but she puts her short-term interests first."

What happens next?

• Prime Minister writes to EU to call for postponement of Brexit
• May will travel to Brussels on Thursday at the EU summit to discuss late options
• The 27 EU members must accept any proposed extension
• If an extension is accepted, Ms. May will probably try to get her agreement – which was heavily defeated – by Parliament
• MPs and peers will also have a vote on any delay
• Talks continue with the DUP and Tory Brexiteers who voted against the deal.
• The government could seek to hold a third "meaningful vote" on the withdrawal agreement next week
• But the speaker said that he would not let MPs vote again if the question was exactly the same.
• The UK leaves the EU on March 29 with or without agreement, unless a delay is agreed

Although Ms. May still wants to agree to the MPs once again, she said that even if it were realized and they voted in favor, the UK would need a short extension to to adopt the necessary laws by Parliament.

Ms May had warned Brexiteer's Conservatives that a longer extension would be necessary if her agreement was not adopted by Parliament.

Norman Smith said that if the EU accepted a deadline of three months, it would be possible for a third useful vote to take place after next week.

But he added that the risk of falling behind is that "the Brexiteers can now sit idly by until June 30".

• The facts: What is the Norwegian model?
• What happened with Brexit last week?

What does the EU say?

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At a press conference in Brussels, Mr Barnier said that it was incumbent on the 27 European leaders to decide to grant a deadline, on the basis of "the best interests" of l & # 39; Union.

Mr Barnier also warned that British MPs voting against "no agreement" would not prevent this from happening, adding that "everyone should now finalize all preparations for a scenario". lack of agreement ".

BBC Europe chief editor Katya Adler said the EU 's final decision on a delay may not be made this week, with an emergency summit on March 28.

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Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had declared that she would fight until the last moment to achieve "an orderly Brexit", claiming that the interests of Germany, Britain and the United States EU were at stake.

What about opposition parties?

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Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labor Party, said the president's intervention showed that Bercow "was ensuring that Parliament was taken seriously."

He said he spoke to Conservative and Labor MPs about the prospect of a future relationship with the European Union in the style of Norway-Plus – a relationship closer than would the agreement Ms. May – calling him an "interesting idea" that had not had his "full support".

Mr Corbyn also had "constructive" talks with leaders of the SNP, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party, about the potential for unity around a closer relationship with the government. EU, said a spokesman for the Labor Party.