Brexit delay latest: EU moves towards offering Boris Johnson ‘flextension’ of three months

Read our live politics updates HERE
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

European Union leaders today moved towards agreeing a three-month “flextension” for Brexit, opening a window for a possible winter general election.

Irish premier Leo Varadkar proposed a new January 31 deadline during a phone call this morning with EU council president Donald Tusk.

European Parliament chief David Sassolii also backed the date, calling it “advisable to accept the UK’s request for an extension to January 31”. If confirmed by the other EU leaders, including France that had suggested a shorter extension, Boris Johnson would be told he has 12 weeks to get legislation through Parliament but could have Brexit earlier if he can speed it up.

The EU move could create time for a general election, providing Labour agrees, which was in doubt as new polls showed the party trailing.

Some senior Tories even said Mr Johnson may have to trigger a confidence vote in himself. However, the delay could also lead to the parties agreeing a new slower timetable to debate the deal agreed by the Prime Minister last week. A Cabinet minister admitted the Brexit process was in “impasse” and urged the parties to co-operate.

 Leo Varadkar, pictured, proposed a new January 31 deadline during a phone call this morning with EU council president Donald Tusk
PA

Westminster was paralysed as it waited for the EU’s decision to be confirmed. Mr Johnson’s hopes of an exit from the bloc on October 31 were dashed last night when MPs voted by 322 to 308 against his “breakneck” timetable to pass legislation through the Commons in three days.

No 10 could not spell out exactly how it could force an election unless Mr Corbyn agreed, given that the Fixed-term Parliaments Act states that a two-thirds majority is required. Options being studied by government lawyers included a possible one-line Bill to overturn the Act.

A nuclear option being seriously advanced by some government officials was for it to commit hara kiri by calling a vote of confidence and voting against itself. Under the Act, this would force an election unless Mr Corbyn or a “government of national unity” was capable of forming a majority.

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said the idea should be adopted if Labour refused to back a fast timetable for the Brexit Bill and also blocked an election. “If they don’t, and want to play games, the Government has to go for an election, even maybe a vote of confidence in ourselves.”

No 10 could not spell out exactly how it could force an election unless Jeremy Corbyn agreed
AFP via Getty Images

He warned that the Brexit withdrawal Bill could be “turned into a Christmas tree”, with so many amendments, as it goes through the Commons and Lords.

No 10 sources would not rule out a confidence vote but indicated it was not a leading option at the moment.

Cabinet minister Robert Buckland confirmed there was deadlock and said a winter general election was moving closer as the only way out.

“I think therefore we are left with the option of a general election, however inhospitable and cold the weather might be,” he told the BBC’s Today programme. “I do a lot of canvassing, and knocking at doors at night is not my ideal election campaign, but that seems to me to be the only way to break this impasse.” He appealed to the parties to work together, telling LBC: “The Bill is just lying there, waiting to be picked up. That’s within Parliament’s gift but the clock is ticking.”

The heat was on Labour leader Mr Corbyn to make a decision, amid polling evidence that his party could be crushed, with marginal seats being lost to the Liberal Democrats in Remain areas and to the Tories in Leave ones.

Donald Tusk said he would tell EU leaders to back an extension to the Brexit process
AFP via Getty Images

Two new polls today found Labour trailing by 13 points and 15 points. However, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, claimed Labour would support a general election “as soon as No Deal is off the table”. Shrugging off the polls, he declared: “The polls said we wouldn’t win last time.”

Mr Burgon insisted: “I want to get Boris Johnson and his Thatcherite mates out of Downing Street as soon as possible.” However, other shadow cabinet members were divided. One told the Standard: “I would prefer to wait a while, at least until after October 31 has passed and Boris has been shown to have failed completely.”

Sir John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said Labour faced a dilemma as it struggles in the polls at around 25 per cent. “That’s even less than Michael Foot got in 1983, which is the worst modern result for the Labour Party,” he told the Today programme. “So for the Labour Party it’s not obvious that it should be wanting to have an early election.”

He added that a key factor in the election was likely to be who could win over Leave voters — Boris Johnson asking for one more chance to deliver Brexit, or Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage condemning him for failing to deliver his “do or die” pledge to leave by October 31. In a sign of the potential clash to come, Mr Farage tweeted this morning: “Boris Johnson says that the new EU treaty gets Brexit done, but Mr Barnier says the next negotiations will last for three years or longer. Who do you believe?”

Father of the House Kenneth Clarke said Mr Johnson should “get rid” of officials coming up with “these clever, usually illegal, ruses” to force an election. He said a one-line bill would likely be amended to give votes to 16 year olds and force changes upon the Brexit bill, making it an unlikely option for the PM.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in