After more than six hours of discussion in Brussels on Wednesday, the leaders of the 27 remaining members of the bloc agreed to give the British Prime Minister until October 31 to win parliamentary approval for her deal
British Prime Minister Theresa May, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel interact during a European Union leaders summit to discuss Brexit, in Brussels on April 10, 2019.European Union leaders have agreed to delay Britain’s departure from the bloc until Oct. 31, handing British Prime Minister Theresa May some badly needed breathing room to win parliamentary approval for her Brexit deal.
"I know that there is huge frustration from many people that I had to request this extension,” Ms. May said after the meeting."The U.K. should have left the EU by now and I sincerely regret the fact that I have not yet been able to persuade Parliament to approve a deal which would allow the U.K. to leave in a smooth and orderly way. But the choices we now face are stark and the timetable is clear.” She added that if an agreement can be struck, the country could still leave before June.
While the extension gives Ms. May more time, it does little to resolve the many problems she faces getting Parliament to approve the withdrawal agreement she struck with the EU last November. The agreement has been rejected by Parliament three times and last week Ms. May reached out to Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn to find a way forward. Despite five days of talks, which resume on Thursday, there has been little progress.
Ms. May also faces a mounting backlash from members of her Conservative party caucus. Many Tories are furious at the prospect of participating in European elections given that the country voted to leave the EU nearly three years ago. They’re also worried about Mr. Corbyn’s proposal to keep Britain inside the EU’s customs union, which allows for the free movement of goods among members states.
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