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European Union agrees to Brexit extension until January 31
- Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said the EU’s 27 other members had agreed to the request made by British PM Boris Johnson
- Under the terms, the UK would be able to leave on the first day of any of the next three months if a withdrawal agreement is ratified by both sides
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The European Union has agreed to a Brexit extension to January 31, with the option for the UK to leave earlier if a deal is ratified, clearing the way for opposition parties to back a general election.
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After a 30-minute meeting of European ambassadors, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said the EU’s 27 other members had agreed to the request made by Boris Johnson just over a week ago.
“The EU27 has agreed that it will accept the UK’s request for a new flextension until 31 January 2020. The decision is expected to be formalised through a written procedure,” he said on Twitter.
The Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party have said they would back a general election on December 9 if a no-deal Brexit on October 31 was “taken off the table”. Downing Street has let it be known that it is considering how to respond.
But the main opposition Labour party continues to insist it will not back an election unless there are further assurances that the UK will not crash out of the bloc on January 31.
Under the terms of the extension, the UK has three months more of EU membership but it would be able to leave on the first day of any of those months if the withdrawal agreement was ratified in both Westminster and the European parliament in the meantime.
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