The European Union has given Britain six more months to leave the bloc a day before it was to crash out without a deal. The offer was made after hours of debate on Thursday morning.
Prime Minister Theresa May, who had sought a delay till June 30, has insisted that the UK will be able to leave with a deal by May, but Britain's exit from the EU has been extended till October 31. May's struggles to get the backing of her MPs continues as Britain breathes a sigh of relief for not having to leave the EU without a withdrawal deal. UK lawmakers have rejected all deals brought by May and have voted against a no-deal Brexit.
“I know that there is huge frustration from many people that I had to request this extension,” she said as she addressed the media later. “But the choices we now face are stark and the timetable is clear. So we must now press on at pace with our efforts to reach consensus on a deal that is in the national interest.”
Other leaders in the EU were open to giving the UK a year-long extension for departure, but there was strong resistance from France President Emmanuel Macron, who argued against giving the British a year to sort out its issues related to Brexit. Macron said that a delay was not logical in his view, and that it was “neither good for us, nor for the UK.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the UK would not be forced out of the bloc and that a chaotic no-deal departure must be avoided. “We want an orderly exit by Britain. And an orderly exit by Britain can be best ensured if we give it some time.”
European Council President Donald Tusk advised Britain not to waste the extra time given to sort out the pending issues. Britain will have to leave the bloc by then, with or without a deal. Tusk added that the time can be used by the UK to either accept May's current deal, make changes to it or even “cancel Brexit altogether”.
May is expected to hold an election for the European Parliament on May 23. However, if she fails to do so, and UK lawmakers still don't arrive at a consensus, Britain could crash out with no deal on June 1.
(With inputs from agencies)
