British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday announced she will ask the E.U. for another delay to Brexit beyond April 12 in order to avoid a no-deal exit.
“We will need a further extension of Article 50 – one that is as short as possible and which ends when we pass a deal,” she said. “And we need to be clear what such an extension is for: to ensure we leave in a timely and orderly way.”
Speaking inside No.10 Downing Street, the prime minister said she would invite Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for talks to come up with a plan they could “both stick to.”
May said if a way forward could not be found by the EU Council summit on April 10, then a number of alternative options would be put to a vote in parliament.
And crucially, the PM said the government would abide by whatever option the Commons chose.
That would open the door to a much softer Brexit than what would be palatable to many pro-Brexit Tory MPs.
The decision came following a seven hour cabinet meeting inside No.10.
Last week MPs rejected the withdrawal agreement by 344 votes to 286 - a margin of 58.
MPs today launched a bid to force the government to stop no-deal Brexit by tabling a bill requiring the prime minister to extend the negotiation process beyond April 12.
Last night the Commons failed to unite behind an alternative to May’s plan during a series of so-called “indicative votes” on other options.