AN extension to Britain’s EU membership is needed but won’t be decided upon until next week, Brussels ambassadors have said.
The EU27 accepted the “principle of an extension” and their work will continue in the “coming days”, a European Commission spokeswoman said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to request a Brexit delay until January 31, and Chancellor Sajid Javid conceded yesterday that the Halloween deadline had now slipped away.
Following the meeting of EU ambassadors yesterday, the European Commission’s chief spokeswoman Mina Andreeva told a Brussels press briefing: “The EU 27 have agreed to the principle of an extension and work will now continue in the coming days.”
She said their intention was to take the decision by a written procedure, reducing the likelihood of an emergency EU summit next week – just days before Britain is currently due to leave.
An EU source said the ambassadors’ meeting was constructive and there was “full agreement” on the need for an extension. They are expected to meet again early next week to finalise an agreement.
Chancellor Sajid Javid said the stalemate over Brexit had reduced Westminster to a “zombie Parliament”, and that it was
now up to Labour to end the deadlock by agreeing to go back to the country.
With the Budget scheduled for November 6 having already been cancelled, he suggested ministers would put other government business on hold until the issue was resolved.
“The opposition have said, week after week, that if there is a delay of three months, which is what they requested through Parliament, then they will vote for a General Election, so let’s see if they keep their word,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
“And if they don’t then we will keep bringing back to Parliament a motion to have an election – and we will keep doing that again and again.
“As for other parliamentary business, we’ll have to wait and see what that is, and we will react to it at that time.”
While some around the Labour leader back a snap election, many Labour MPs are bitterly opposed to a poll, fearing confusion over the party’s position on Brexit will cost them at the ballot box.
Corbyn said the December 12 date was “really odd for many reasons”, and suggested he may prefer to go to the country earlier.
Javid said that if Labour MPs do not trust the Government, they should agree to a General Election.
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