Brexit delayed AGAIN until Halloween in humiliation for May – will we EVER leave?

BREXIT will be delayed AGAIN until Halloween in fresh humiliation for Theresa May.

Squabbling EU leaders last night threw out the PM’s plea to agree a short extension until the end of June.

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And after six hours of tense talks the European Council in Brussels pushed back the cut-off to October 31 - likely to cost Britain more than £5billion.

In another late-night crunch Brexit summit in Europe:

• Mrs May vowed to continue her efforts to get Britain out of the EU by June 1 by convincing Parliament to back her deal.
• No10 officials said she would stay for as long as it takes to deliver Brexit, clinging onto power until possibly the end of the year
• But the prospect of a six-month delay was slammed by Brexiteers and welcomed by Remainers desperate to force a second referendum
• EU leaders were deeply split over the way forward - with Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel on opposite sides of the debate
• Businesses blasted the continued uncertainty as"seemingly endless" and that it can't go on

The Prime Minister signed up to the latest delay despite repeatedly vowing she wouldn't keep Britain in the EU past June at the latest.

EU boss Donald Tusk declared at 2am Brussels time: "EU27/UK have agreed a flexible extension until October 31. This means additional six months for the UK to find the best possible solution."

SIX MONTH DELAY

The delay will be brought to an early finish if the House of Commons approves the Brexit deal before October, Mr Tusk said, but didn't rule out yet ANOTHER delay after that.

And urging the UK's warring politicians to come to an agreement, Mr Tusk blasted: "Please do not waste this time."

Mrs May vowed to use the additional time to win over rebellious MPs and finally push her Brexit deal through Parliament - with an aim to leave on June 1.

She said: "Vitally, the EU have agreed that the extension can be terminated when the withdrawal agreement has been ratified."

Please do not waste this time

Donald Tusk

Admitting that Britain's political class has failed the country, the PM added: "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 a consensus on a deal that is in the national interest.

"I do not pretend the next few weeks will be easy or that there is a simple way to break the deadlock in Parliament.

"But we have a duty as politicians to find a way to fulfil the democratic decision of the referendum, deliver Brexit and move our country forward. Nothing is more pressing or more vital."

'ANOTHER POINTLESS DELAY'

Brexiteers warned Mrs May the delay could seal her fate as furious MPs move to get her out of No10.

Ex-minister John Whittingdale said last night: "Just pushing it to October 31 doesn't make it any more likely we're going to agree."

And Andrew Percy told The Sun: “The strategy of Remainers in Parliament who have never wanted to implement Brexit has been to vote everything down and play for time.

“They know a long delay probably kills Brexit and the truth is, they are probably right.”

Senior Tories agreed yesterday that the PM should step down next month, giving the party time to elect a new leader by July.

But Mrs May's officials said she won't go before Brexit is settled and plans to cling on to power for as long as it takes to get the withdrawal agreement through the Commons.

Jeremy Hunt insisted the extra time would boost the chances of a compromise deal, telling ITV's Peston: "It's clear that as things stand at the moment we are not going to get the Prime Minister's deal through so we need to find another way to deliver an orderly Brexit."

Denmark's PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen described the decision as "one more chance for the UK".

BREX WRECKERS

But pro-Remain MPs said they would use the next few months to push for their ultimate goal - a second referendum on Brexit which could see Britain staying in the EU for good.

Chris Leslie of the Independent Group gloated: "An extension to October 31 means we can conduct a People's Vote and let the British people bring this whole debacle to an end.

"This is the obvious way forward now for all parties, otherwise the long drawn-out horror story of a Halloween Brexit awaits."

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MAC ATTACK

Under the terms of the extension, there will be a "review" in June - and if the UK hasn't committed to holding European Parliament elections by that point we will crash out with No Deal.

The compromise came after Mr Macron faced down other leaders in a bid to convince them to push Britain out of the EU as quickly as possible.

Mrs May tabled a formal request to move the Brexit deadline from April 12 to June 30 in an hour-long meeting with the EU’s 27 other leaders, insisting talks with Labour on a Brexit compromise were making progress.

But sources claim they were left “unimpressed” and “simply did not believe” her confidence a cross-party deal was possible.

In tense exchanges the bloc's leaders were divided on the way forward - 17 EU leaders including Germany argued for a long delay until New Year's Eve, four backed October 31, four backed a summer departure.

EU chiefs dined on scallop salad followed by cod with brown shrimps and mushroom arancini as they debated their response for more than four hours.

Mrs May ate elsewhere at the British residence and picked from a menu of green asparagus with crispy egg, and roast fillet of lamb.

Mr Tusk admitted the leaders had disagreed, but quipped: "It's still much easier to build a majority here than a majority in the House of Commons."

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Squabbling MPs have refused to pass Mrs May's deal three times - and haven't backed any alternative option either.

Mrs May's been forced into talks with Labour to try and get a deal over the line, but last night they broke up again without progress.

Talks are set to restart today to try and break the Brexit deadlock.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "They clearly have a problem and a difficulty moving off what is a failed and rejected deal and a failed and rejected package as a basis for leaving the EU."

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