Brexit: Theresa May admits yet another new date we could leave the EU

Theresa May has suggested yet another date for when we could leave the EU after multiple delays.

کد خبر: ۸۹۷۵۳۲

تاریخ: ۱۸ ارديبهشت ۱۳۹۸ - ۰۹:۳۱

Downing Street have now admitted that the UK may not leave the EU until the parliamentary summer recess, which would mean the end of July.

But Brexit Day would have to happen on either 1st July or 1st August because under EU law the UK would leave a month after a deal was agreed by MPs.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "In relation to the Parliamentary timetable we would look to complete this ideally by June 30, but if not then, by summer recess."

The UK was originally set to leave the EU on March 29 but after failing to get the Brexit deal through the Commons, Mrs May was granted a short extension by the EU until 12 April.

At a Brussels summit on 11 April the Prime Minister was then forced to ask for yet another extension.

Mrs May had wanted the EU to agree to a delay until 30 June - with the option to leave as soon as her Withdrawal Agreement was passed.

But EU leaders disagreed and instead granted her an extension until 31st October - with a review of progress scheduled for June 20.

As part of the agreement the UK was forced to take part in EU elections or else leave without a deal on June 1.

Mrs May had hoped to get a deal through the Commons in time to avoid holding elections to the European Parliament but today was forced to admit the polls would be held on 23 May.

The spokesman admitted that Mrs May "deeply regrets" that EU elections will now have to take place which the government admitted earlier today.

He said: “She understands that many members of the public will feel deeply frustrated about this”.

David Lidington, May's de facto deputy was today forced to concede that Britain would have to take part in the elections to the European Parliament on May 23, but said there was still time to avoid those elected having to take their seats.

"Ideally we would like to be in a situation where those MEPs from the UK never actually take their seats in the European Parliament, certainly to get this done and dusted by the summer recess," he said, referring to parliament's summer break which usually begins in the second half of July.

It came as cross-party discussions with Labour resumed on Monday afternoon.

Following the Conservative's disastrous results in the local elections when they lost 1,334 councillors and suffered their worst defeat in 25 years, Theresa May shifted the focus to Labour.

The prime minister used an editorial in the Mail on Sunday to send a direct message to Jeremy Corbyn , saying: “Let’s listen to what the voters said in the local elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Let’s do a deal.”

But Jeremy Corbyn is under growing pressure from Labour backbenchers not to agree any deal which does not agree some form of second referendum.

Going into the latest negotiations at the Cabinet Office, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said talks had reached "crunch point".

He said: "Talks have been going on for some time as we know, but I think the time has now come to a crunch time where the Government has to decide whether it's serious about significant changes capable of actually carrying a majority in the House of Commons."

Addressing her cabinet team of ministers, May bolstered her argument for talks with Labour by saying last week's local elections, when the Conservatives lost hundreds of council seats, underlined the need to get on with Brexit.

"The prime minister said that while an agreement with the opposition had not been reached, the public had sent a clear message in the local elections that they want both of the main parties to get on with delivering Brexit," her spokesman said she told ministers.