The upshot of last night’s EU summit is that the EU has granted the UK an extension of its A50 notice period, without condition, until the 12th of April 2019. This is not what Theresa May had asked for: a one-off extension until the end of June, the last date before the newly elected EU parliament is set to convene. That initial request had been knocked-back to May 22nd because of potential legal problems if British MEPs do not contest the elections. In the unlikely event that May’s deal passes parliament, an extension until the 22nd of May is granted. Should this not happen, May has until the 12th of April to clearly say what the UK wishes to happen next.
Commentary emerging from the summit has been damning, with the aide to one EU leader stating: “She didn’t even give clarity if she is organising a vote. Asked three times what she would do if she lost the vote, she couldn’t say. It was awful. Dreadful. Evasive even by her standards.”
President Macron was equally blunt, referring to a “power vacuum” in Westminster, he noted: “The EU in a very clear manner has today responded to a British political crisis. The British politicians are incapable to put in place what their people have demanded. Their people voted for Brexit.”
Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s Prime Minister was equally forthright: “We’re at a critical moment in the construction of Europe. History will judge what happens over the coming weeks. Spanish citizens in the UK and Britons in Spain need to know that the government is prepared for a disorderly exit. The EU and the Spanish government have attached amendments to the agreement. But it doesn’t depend on us any more – it depends on the British government.”
When pressed by leaders on what she would do if she can’t get the EU Withdrawal Bill through, she simply reiterated her intention to get it through, an official remarked “she didn’t have a plan so they needed to come up with one for her”.
Speaking of the agreement, Donald Tusk said: “What this means in practice is that, until that date, all options will remain open, and the cliff-edge date will be delayed. The UK government will still have a choice of a deal, no-deal, a long extension or revoking article 50.”
So, the cliff-edge exit of the UK from the EU has been postponed until 12/4/19.
An on-line petition on the House of Commons website demanding that A50 notice be revoked was launched on Tuesday and has attracted over 2.6 million signatures so far (it has no legal effect). The People’s Vote organisation have organised a March on parliament to demand that the public be given the final say on Brexit. They are hopeful that attendance will exceed the 700000 demonstrators that attended their first major rally.
The focus will now return to the Commons for reaction to last night’s events and any hint of an agreed way forward.