May agrees October deadline for Brexit
Theresa May has agreed to an extension of article 50 up to 31 October, with an option for Britain to leave earlier if the withdrawal agreement can be agreed upon in parliament at an earlier date.
After a lengthy debate amongst leaders of the EU27 which is reported to have taken over six hours, the prime minister was offered a longer extension to article 50 than she had hoped for.
In recent weeks the prime minister told MPs in the Commons that she was “not prepared to delay Brexit any further than 30 June”, and suggested that she would not stay on as prime minister for the next stage of the Brexit process. However, on Wednesday Conservatives suggested that her departure was reliant on the approval of the withdrawal agreement, rather than a specific date in the near future.
The prime minister avoided questions about her resignation on Wednesday, choosing instead to insist that the UK “can still leave on May 22” and avoid having to hold EU elections, a red line which she had previously set, and suggested she would not be able to countenance as prime minister.
As part of the agreement to extend article 50 until October, the EU will also hold a June summit where it can review the UK’s adherence to EU rules, after Emmanuel Macron suggested that Britain could not be allowed to become a “rogue” member state.
Tusk: Please do not waste this time
EU council president Donald Tusk has told Theresa May not to “waste this time” after being granted an extension of article 50 up to 31 October.
In a damning letter sent to EU leaders before Wednesday’s summit, Tusk had suggested that the EU’s “experience so far, as well as the deep divisions within the House of Commons, give us little reason to believe that the ratification process can be completed by the end of June”, and suggested to colleagues that an extension of up to the end of the year would be needed/
Speaking at a media conference after Wednesday’s summit, where the October extension had been agreed, Tusk said: “This extension is as flexible as I expected and a little bit shorter than I expected but it is still enough to find the best possible solution”,
“Please do not waste this time”, he added.
Varadkar: Britain could have ‘a say’ in trade if it joins a customs union
Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said that Britain should have “a say” in future trade if it is part of a customs union after leaving the EU.
Speaking at a summit in Brussels on Wednesday, Varadkar said: “I know one thing that I would like to be considered, and I know it is under consideration, is the possibly of a customs union being formed between the UK and the EU,”
“Ultimately … in a world of big blocs it’s in the interests of the UK to be part of one of those blocs. It’s also in our interest to have the UK in our bloc.
“I think we’d be generous in negotiating that, understanding that the UK couldn’t be a silent partner in such an arrangement, it would have to have a say in decisions being made.”
The prospect of Britain staying in a customs union with the EU is favoured by the Labour party, and were a central talking point during discussions held with the prime minister, beginning last week, in order to try and find a compromise on Brexit.
However, a customs union is one of the prime minister’s red lines, and last week it was suggested there had been little movement on the idea.
What the Papers Say
The Metro
Thursday’s front page:
— Metro Newspaper UK (@MetroUKNews) April 10, 2019
As EU dictates Britain’s future
WHAT BREXIT
LOOKS LIKE
FROM SPACE#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers #skypapers pic.twitter.com/vZ1dzsFQX4
Financial Times
Just published: front page of the Financial Times UK edition, Thursday April 11 https://t.co/TzTv9asQyk pic.twitter.com/EE9aRlf6MT
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) April 10, 2019
The Times
Thursday’s front page: May defies Tory rebels with pledge to stay on #scotpapers #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/iUxIKD2yVW
— The Times Scotland (@thetimesscot) April 10, 2019
The Guardian
The Guardian front page, Thursday 11 April 2019: May defies critics with vow to stay on and see Brexit deal through pic.twitter.com/nGWxfzd09k
— The Guardian (@guardian) April 10, 2019
