Brexit delay looms

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — European Council President Donald Tusk said Tuesday he will recommend European Union (EU) leaders grant another Brexit extension, hours after British MP rejected Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s bid to force his divorce deal through parliament this week.

Tusk said he would advise the bloc’s 27 other member states to accept a postponement request from the UK government, which Johnson was forced to submit Saturday under British law after he had failed to win lawmakers’ backing for his new agreement.

However, earlier on Tuesday MP gave their initial approval to legislation enacting the agreement struck with Brussels last week — only to then block the British premier’s timetable to pass it ahead of the latest 31 October date for Brexit.

Johnson immediately announced he would pause the process of trying to ratify the text — the first that MP have backed since the 2016 referendum — while he consulted EU leaders on a possible delay.

“Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to pause the process of ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement, and in order to avoid a no-deal Brexit, I will recommend the EU27 accept the UK request for an extension,” Tusk said in a tweet.

France’s European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin said Paris was open to a “technical” Brexit extension of “several days” but ruled out reopening discussions to renegotiate the deal reached by the two sides.