Theresa May slaps down EU bosses who want to DELAY Brexit – warning it wouldn’t solve anything

THERESA May has slapped down EU bosses’ pleas to delay Brexit as she warned it won’t change anything.

Donald Tusk revealed that he’d demanded the PM push Brexit day back when he met with her yesterday – or there was a risk of a chaotic exit.

In a sign that the EU are totally unprepared for us to leave without a deal, the European Council President told reporters at a summit in Sharm El Sheikh today: “We will face an alternative – a chaotic Brexit or extension.”

He said it would be “rational” to push back the exit day but “Prime Minister May still believes she is able to avoid this scenario”.

But just minutes later the PM rebuffed him, saying it would not make any difference to the Brexit impasse.

She told a press conference at the EU summit: “An extension to Article 50, a delay in this process, doesn’t deliver a decision in Parliament, it doesn’t deliver a deal.
“I think that an extension to Article 50 isn’t addressing the issues.”

Mrs May was forced to deny the reports of a Brexit delay in meetings with Germany’s Angela Merkel this morning.

Last night she said leaving as planned with a deal was “still within our grasp”.

Leaked plans suggested the Prime Minister was looking at a series of options this week for how to break the Brexit deadlock – including putting back our exit day.

Documents obtained by the Daily Telegraph claimed that the PM could ask Brussels for an extension of Article 50, but these reports were dismissed by No10 officials.

“Our focus is on leaving with a deal,” she told reporters in Egypt as she headed off for yet more meetings with EU leaders to get tweaks to the deal – including the hated Northern Irish backstop.

“The extension of Article 50 defers the point of decision. There comes to a point when we need to make that decision.”

An extension to Article 50 isn’t addressing the issues… A delay is delay.

Theresa May

But the Dutch PM Mark Rutte warned today she was “sleep walking into a No Deal scenario”.

The close ally of the Prime Minister said their “friends” had to warn her.

“Wake up. This is real. Come to a conclusion and close the deal,” he added.

Today she’ll also have chats with EU boss Jean Claude Juncker, and Ireland’s Leo Varadkar too.

The Irish PM said that he didn’t believe the UK would really leave with nothing in the end.

“We’ll either have a deal or an extension,” he said.

He warned there must be “a plan” rather than just “to continue negotiations that have gone on for almost two years.”

Yesterday the PM revealed she will delay the so-called meaningful vote on it until at least March 12, giving her another two weeks to secure wins from the EU.

Meanwhile, a fresh bid has emerged from a group of Tory MPs attempts to force the PM to extend Article 50 too.

But this change would not be binding on the Government, leaving Mrs May to be free to take the decision for herself if she wanted.

The motion from Mrs May’s loyal backbenchers could give her a way out of another damning defeat.

Earlier today one of her ministers, Tobias Ellwood, gave a big hint that she would call for a delay herself if a deal could not be reached.

He told Radio 4 earlier: “If we can’t get this deal across the line, we are facing the prospect of having to extend.”

And he added: “You need to wait to see what she says when she gets back.”

Mr Ellwood is one of several ministers who is urging the PM to go for a delay to avoid No Deal.

In the Cabinet, Amber Rudd, David Gauke and Greg Clark are all mulling over how to get the PM to take leaving without a deal off the table altogether.

They are considering getting behind a plan from Labour’s Yvette Cooper and Tory Sir Oliver Letwin to demand an extension to Article 50 if there’s not a deal in place by March 13.

Today Ms Rudd said: “I’m completely committed to make sure that we leave the European Union, and we do it in a way that supports the economy.
“What I don’t think is acceptable is allowing us to move ever closer to No Deal so I’m completely committed, I support the Prime Minister, I hope we’ll be leaving the European Union with a deal.”

But the thinly-veiled plot to get us to stay in the EU is being resisted by the PM, who said last night there were “strong views” around the cabinet table.

The PM asked the three ministers not to make their Brexit delay vow, but they refused.

Several other ministers could join them too.

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