British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make a fresh push on Monday for an early election as EU leaders backed yet another Brexit delay, just days before the departure deadline. ISABEL INFANTES/AFP Heng Chivoan
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make a fresh push on Monday for an early election as EU leaders backed yet another Brexit delay, this time just days before the departure deadline.
Johnson was forced to abandon his promise to leave the EU on October 31, after Members of Parliament demanded he asks for more time while they debate the divorce terms he struck with Brussels.
EU ambassadors on Monday allowed for a three-month delay early on Monday – pushing the Brexit deadline until January 31.
“The EU27 has agreed that it will accept the UK’s request for a Brexit flextension until 31 January 2020,” said Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council after members met in Brussels.
“The decision is expected to be formalised through a written procedure.”
Later on Monday, Johnson was to ask the House of Commons to vote on a snap election, which he wants to hold on December 12 – after MPs have had time to ratify his Brexit deal.
However, he faces defeat, as with his two previous election calls. He needs the support of two-thirds of the 650 MPs but does not have even a simple majority.
The Labour party dislikes Johnson’s Brexit deal and says it will not back an election until his threat of leaving the EU with no deal at all is removed.
Senior Labour MP Diane Abbott told the BBC on Sunday the party “is up for an election”, prior to the EU decision to allow for a delay.”
More than three years after Britons voted 52-48 per cent for Brexit in a 2016 referendum, the country and parliament remain deeply divided.
Johnson, a leader of the “Leave” campaign, took office in July vowing to take Britain out of the EU on October 31 whatever happens.
But MPs rebelled against his threat to sever 46 years of ties without a deal and passed a law requiring him to seek a delay if they refused to accept his divorce terms.
Johnson reluctantly sent the letter to the EU asking for the required three-month delay last weekend.
Paris said on Sunday there has to be a strong justification to grant what would be the third postponement of Brexit.
According to a copy of the agreement if Johnson convinces the UK parliament to approve an amicable divorce accord before next year, Brexit could be on November 30 or December 31.
But in the meantime London must nominate a senior official to serve on the next European Commission and must agree that the withdrawal agreement it struck last month will not now be renegotiated, according to the EU text.
A European source said the next step would be for London to formally accept the extension, after which Tusk will ask the EU capitals to sign off on it.
“We hope for this to be concluded by Tuesday or Wednesday,” he said.
Johnson this weekend accused MPs of holding Britain “hostage” by refusing to back his deal or an election.
If his bid fails there could yet be another election vote after two smaller opposition parties backed the idea of a December poll – but with conditions attached.
Johnson wants MPs to ratify his Brexit deal before holding an election, a tough but not impossible task.
But the Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats want to abandon the deal and hold an election.
They proposed legislating for the poll – a process that would only require a simple majority of MPs and could begin as early as Tuesday – if the government agrees.
