May Likely to Face Rebellion in Parliament After EU’s Brexit Ultimatum - The Wall Street Journal

British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves a press conference during an EU summit in Brussels. Photo: ludovic marin/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

By

Max Colchester and

Max Colchester
The Wall Street Journal
• Biography
• @MaximColch
• Max.Colchester@wsj.com

Stephen Fidler

Stephen Fidler
The Wall Street Journal
• Biography
• @StephenFidler1
• stephen.fidler@wsj.com

March 22, 2019 11:18 a.m. ET

LONDON—Fresh from a difficult summit with other European Union leaders, Prime Minister Theresa May faces the defining weeks of her leadership, as she comes under growing pressure to seal a Brexit agreement and quell a rebellion in Parliament that threatens to force her from office.

But events are increasingly out of Mrs. May’s hands. The other 27 EU leaders reset the Brexit timetable on Thursday night with her out of the room.

Their new schedule is this: If she does beat the odds and secure approval for her EU divorce deal in the House of Commons next week, the U.K. will leave the bloc on May 22 and she will realize her oft-stated ambition of delivering Brexit. If her deal is defeated again, the new drop-dead date moves to April 12.

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At that point, she will have to contemplate scenarios she has stubbornly resisted: a no-deal exit next month or a long Brexit delay to allow lawmakers to find an approach to Brexit they can agree on.

Patience with Mrs. May, who built her political career on unshowy pragmatism that now is seen as wooden and inflexible, is running out even among those who up to now have been loyal. Her inner circle of ministers is already jostling to position themselves should she quit, with several burnishing their euroskeptic credentials by voting last week against delaying Brexit.

Lawmakers complain of endless U-turns and a lack of clarity. If Mrs. May gives any further sign that Brexit will be again delayed past mid-April, “it is going to be very hard for her to continue,” said a member of the team responsible for enforcing party discipline in the House of Commons.

With the latest deal in Brussels, Mrs. May’s credibility has sunk further. She told Parliament on 108 occasions that the U.K. would leave on March 29, said Peter Bone, a euroskeptic Conservative lawmaker.

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On Friday, anti-EU members of Parliament sought assurances that the Brexit uncertainty wouldn’t continue indefinitely.

If the U.K. is still in the EU after April, lawmakers want a pledge “the government would rather resign than be privy to such an appalling abuse of trust,” said Edward Leigh, a pro-Brexit Conservative lawmaker. Kwasi Kwarteng, a minister in the department for leaving the EU, called for “a degree of patience.”

“When you are in a hole, stop digging,” said Mark Francois, a Conservative lawmaker.

So far, she has been able to cling to her job, helped by the fact that after a failed putsch last year by her own Conservative lawmakers, according to party rules they can’t trigger a further no-confidence vote in her until December. Her party’s legislators don’t want to provoke a fresh election either, in case they lose ground to the main opposition Labour Party.

Nonetheless, the pressure on her to quit may become irresistible if her deal is killed off for good in the next three weeks.

Britain’s process of quitting the EU is still no clearer than it was six months ago. As EU leaders listened to Mrs. May explain her approach on Thursday, a number of them became even more pessimistic about its chances of success, according to several European officials.

That encouraged them to give British lawmakers extra breathing space to avoid an economically damaging no-deal exit, which until then loomed next Friday.

Unlike previous meetings with other leaders when Mrs. May read remarks and then left the room, this time she was peppered with questions, which she answered one by one. But she didn’t provide much illumination. “Her answers were rather flat, sticking to her script. She didn’t really explain anything,” said a European official briefed on the exchanges.

If her deal is again rejected, lawmakers will again be able to propose amendments to pave the way for alternative Brexit divorce plans, including possibly a referendum on whether to endorse Mrs. May’s deal or an alternative plan that keeps the U.K. in the EU’s single market.

But it isn’t clear if there is a majority for any form of Brexit in the House of Commons. Lawmakers are set to vote from Monday to determine the procedures to allow this to happen.

—Valentina Pop in Brussels contributed to this article.

Write to Max Colchester at max.colchester@wsj.com and Stephen Fidler at stephen.fidler@wsj.com

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2019-03-22 16:18:00Z
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Brexit is costing the UK economy $1 billion a week. And it could get worse - CNN

The vote to leave the European Union in June 2016 caused the pound to weaken dramatically and ushered in years of uncertainty that has reduced economic activity and triggered a slump in investment.

The economy is now 2% smaller than it would have been if the United Kingdom had chosen to remain in the bloc, according to the Bank of England. The economic output lost since the referendum is worth about £800 million ($1 billion) per week, or £4.7 million ($6 million) per hour.

The economic consequences have piled up despite there having been no structural changes yet to Britain's trading relationship with EU nations or the rest of the world.

Britain has continued to sell goods and services into the European Union, its biggest trading partner, while politicians worked to negotiate the divorce. It has been easy for UK companies to hire EU workers, and to maintain supply chains that crisscross national borders.

Yet there has been no clarity over the terms of future UK trade for nearly three years, making it difficult for companies to plan for the future. Investments have been delayed or canceled and many businesses have instead poured millions into planning for the worst case scenario: a disorderly Brexit.

With UK politics in disarray, there's still a risk the country will leave the European Union without a transitional deal to protect trade. The Bank of England has said the fallout from that scenario would be worse than the 2008 financial crisis.

The big Brexit slowdown

The United Kingdom was the fastest growing G7 economy when voters went to the polls in 2016. Emergency action by the Bank of England helped the UK economy avoid the recession that some had predicted would follow a vote in favor of Brexit, and unemployment remains very low.

But the country still fell toward the bottom of the G7 ranking. Economic growth has slumped from an annual pace of around 2% to less than 1% now.

Investment by UK companies stalled after the referendum and then plunged 3.7% in 2018. Meanwhile, the rest of the G7 has seen business investment grow around 6% a year since the vote.

And business confidence in Britain has slumped to the lowest level in almost a decade.

"The reason for this underperformance relative to the rest of the world is, I believe, the uncertainty surrounding the prospect of Brexit," Gertjan Vlieghe, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, said in a speech last month.

The pain has also been felt by households. The pound plunged 15% against the dollar after the 2016 vote, pushing the price of imported goods higher. That spurred inflation and contributed to a decline in the value of people's paychecks.

Company trauma

Executives have reacted to the uncertainty by attempting to Brexit-proof their businesses.

"It is clear that political inaction has already had economic consequences, with many firms hitting the brakes on investment and recruitment decisions as a result of ongoing uncertainty," said Adam Marshall, director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, a business lobby.

Many banks have set up new offices in Germany, France, Ireland and other EU countries to safeguard their regional business after Brexit. Financial services companies also have to move substantial assets there to satisfy EU regulators. Assets worth at least £1 trillion ($1.3 trillion) are leaving the country, according to consultancy EY.

Manufacturing companies, which need their supply chains to function seamlessly, have also made changes. Nissan (NSANF) has scrapped plans to build a new model in the United Kingdom, citing uncertainty over Brexit. German engineering group Schaeffler (SCFLF) is shutting two of its three factories in Britain for the same reason.

The biggest risk

The most dangerous scenario — a disorderly Brexit — could still come to pass.

EU leaders on Thursday granted the United Kingdom a short delay to Brexit, but the country could still crash out of the bloc unless UK lawmakers agree a path forward.

Top officials at the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress said Thursday that Britain faces a "national emergency" if politicians allow that to happen.

"Firms and communities across the United Kingdom are not ready for this outcome. The shock to our economy would be felt by generations to come," they wrote in a letter to May.

McDonald's (MCD) and KFC (YUM) joined with UK supermarkets to warn that crashing out of the European Union would disrupt supplies. Airbus has said that it would be forced to redirect future investment away from the United Kingdom.

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2019-03-22 14:50:00Z
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Brexit is costing the UK economy $1 billion a week. And it could get worse - CNN

The vote to leave the European Union in June 2016 caused the pound to weaken dramatically and ushered in years of uncertainty that has reduced economic activity and triggered a slump in investment.

The economy is now 2% smaller than it would have been if the United Kingdom had chosen to remain in the bloc, according to the Bank of England. The economic output lost since the referendum is worth about £800 million ($1 billion) per week, or £4.7 million ($6 million) per hour.

The economic consequences have piled up despite there having been no structural changes yet to Britain's trading relationship with EU nations or the rest of the world.

Britain has continued to sell goods and services into the European Union, its biggest trading partner, while politicians worked to negotiate the divorce. It has been easy for UK companies to hire EU workers, and to maintain supply chains that crisscross national borders.

Yet there has been no clarity over the terms of future UK trade for nearly three years, making it difficult for companies to plan for the future. Investments have been delayed or canceled and many businesses have instead poured millions into planning for the worst case scenario: a disorderly Brexit.

With UK politics in disarray, there's still a risk the country will leave the European Union without a transitional deal to protect trade. The Bank of England has said the fallout from that scenario would be worse than the 2008 financial crisis.

The big Brexit slowdown

The United Kingdom was the fastest growing G7 economy when voters went to the polls in 2016. Emergency action by the Bank of England helped the UK economy avoid the recession that some had predicted would follow a vote in favor of Brexit, and unemployment remains very low.

But the country still fell toward the bottom of the G7 ranking. Economic growth has slumped from an annual pace of around 2% to less than 1% now.

Investment by UK companies stalled after the referendum and then plunged 3.7% in 2018. Meanwhile, the rest of the G7 has seen business investment grow around 6% a year since the vote.

And business confidence in Britain has slumped to the lowest level in almost a decade.

"The reason for this underperformance relative to the rest of the world is, I believe, the uncertainty surrounding the prospect of Brexit," Gertjan Vlieghe, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, said in a speech last month.

The pain has also been felt by households. The pound plunged 15% against the dollar after the 2016 vote, pushing the price of imported goods higher. That spurred inflation and contributed to a decline in the value of people's paychecks.

Company trauma

Executives have reacted to the uncertainty by attempting to Brexit-proof their businesses.

"It is clear that political inaction has already had economic consequences, with many firms hitting the brakes on investment and recruitment decisions as a result of ongoing uncertainty," said Adam Marshall, director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, a business lobby.

Many banks have set up new offices in Germany, France, Ireland and other EU countries to safeguard their regional business after Brexit. Financial services companies also have to move substantial assets there to satisfy EU regulators. Assets worth at least £1 trillion ($1.3 trillion) are leaving the country, according to consultancy EY.

Manufacturing companies, which need their supply chains to function seamlessly, have also made changes. Nissan (NSANF) has scrapped plans to build a new model in the United Kingdom, citing uncertainty over Brexit. German engineering group Schaeffler (SCFLF) is shutting two of its three factories in Britain for the same reason.

The biggest risk

The most dangerous scenario — a disorderly Brexit — could still come to pass.

EU leaders on Thursday granted the United Kingdom a short delay to Brexit, but the country could still crash out of the bloc unless UK lawmakers agree a path forward.

Top officials at the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress said Thursday that Britain faces a "national emergency" if politicians allow that to happen.

"Firms and communities across the United Kingdom are not ready for this outcome. The shock to our economy would be felt by generations to come," they wrote in a letter to May.

McDonald's (MCD) and KFC (YUM) joined with UK supermarkets to warn that crashing out of the European Union would disrupt supplies. Airbus has said that it would be forced to redirect future investment away from the United Kingdom.

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2019-03-22 14:20:52Z
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Harrowing scenes after Cyclone Idai with inland ocean visible from outer space - CNN

The harrowing scene, described by Zimbabwean Graham Taylor, suggests that the human toll of Cyclone Idai is likely to far exceed official estimates. It follows reports from aid agencies on the ground detailing how entire villages and towns have been completely flooded in the wake of last Thursday's high-end Category 2 storm.

Taylor said the bodies were located on a 6 kilometer (3.7 mile) track of highway, where flood waters had created an inland ocean, submerging entire villages around a "densely populated" sugar-cane plantation. The area is a mere fraction of the land in the southeast African nation left flooded after two major rivers burst their banks in the days following the storm.

Flooding is so extreme in Buzi, central Mozambique, that the water can be seen in satellite images from outer space.

The area is home to some 200,000 people, and CNN spoke to survivors arriving at Praia Nova by boat on Friday.

One man, Abias Felipe, had arrived from the flooded village of Chikezana after surviving the cyclone.

"It broke everything -- there's nothing left there," he told CNN, adding that rescue teams had started to arrive in the area.

"They're starting to come but there's still a lot of people trapped in their homes," said Felipe. "They say there's a lot more rain to come today and tomorrow."

On Friday 700 survivors from Buzi gathered at the Escola Secundaria Samora Machel school in Beira after they were rescued.

More than one week on from the storm's initial impact, the United Nations has confirmed 242 dead in Mozambique, with 259 lives lost in Zimbabwe and 56 in Malawi.

But information has been slow to emerge and communication with affected areas remains limited. On Monday, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said that "everything indicates that we can have a record of more than 1,000 dead" -- a figure that some experts now believe could be conservative.

The morgue at the Hospital Central da Beira hospital is now full, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

However it is premature to say how many people have died while affected areas remain inaccessible, an ICRC forensic specialist told CNN.

On Friday morning the organization set up a new base in Chimoio, near the border with Zimbabwe, and the forensics team said identifying and burying bodies is now a major challenge.

About 1.7 million people are affected by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, according to UNICEF.

"The situation on the ground remains critical," said Christophe Boulierac, UNICEF spokesperson in Geneva, describing the scene in Beira."There is no electricity or running water."

Thousands of people are congregating in informal camps in desperate conditions, according to UNICEF representative Marco Luigi Corsi, who has traveled to affected areas.

Eyewitness account

Taylor, 62, who has lived in Mozambique for 10 years, became stranded on Saturday on the highway to Zimbabwe from Beira, where Cyclone Idai made landfall, after flood waters one-meter high blocked the road.

At 3 a.m. on Monday, he abandoned his car and joined the streams of people wading in the pitch black through the waters along the raised highway.

In the dark, he could hear people "sobbing and crying."

As dawn broke, those sobs began to make sense as a "terrible sight" emerged, Taylor said.

"Dead bodies had floated up (and the) current of the flood water had washed the bodies up against the road," said Taylor. "The road had subsided about 10 inches (25.5 centimeters). So these bodies had been washed up against the main highway."

Taylor said the smell of bodies and livestock was palpable.

Hundreds of others were also attempting to make the congested seven-hour walk from the village of Lamego -- about 90 kilometers (56 miles) inland from Beira -- to Nhamatanda, on higher ground. In places where the current of the flood waters was strong, about 50 people joined hands to make a human chain, said Taylor.

"I'm 6 foot 2 inches (187 centimeters), but the force of water at knee level was powerful," Taylor said. "You had to pay attention and concentrate where you put your feet."

Taylor said he saw an elderly woman carry her husband on her back.

On the road out of Beira, he said "the entire area, as far as I could see, was one lake of floodwater," adding that groups of up to 10 people had climbed eucalyptus, cashew and mango trees waiting to be rescued.

But he also saw people heading back towards the flood zone.

"They said they couldn't account for their families and wouldn't leave until they could do," he said.

Biblical scenes

Cyclone Idai made landfall in Mozambique on midnight local time on Thursday, March 14, with 175 kph (109 mph) winds,

It wasn't the strongest storm to have hit Mozambique, but the region had recently been deluged by heavy rains. After lingering off the coast for days, gathering strength, Idai finally dumped a huge amount of water on Beira -- a city of 500,000 people -- destroying "90%" of the area, according to aid agencies.

One week later, thousands of people remain missing across Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. Millions of others across have been left destitute without food or basic services, according to reports. 

The high commissioner for Mozambique in the UK, Filipe Chidumo, said Wednesday that the country needs "a sustained effort on part of the Mozambican government as well as the international community" to help rescue stranded people, and provide, food, sanitation and water for those at risk.

"This is a big tragedy of biblical proportions," he said, adding that major work will be needed, including the restoration of electricity, water and sanitation to prevent the emergence of waterborne diseases, as well as repairs to public infrastructure.

'The soils had filled my mouth'

After hitting Mozambique, Cyclone Idai tore into Zimbabwe killing many people as they slept.

The 83-year-old husband of one Chimanimani resident was buried alive when their bedroom collapsed on them last Friday. 

"We were sleeping in the house around 10 p.m. in the evening and it was raining. It kept on pouring when rocks sliding from the hill started hitting our house," said the 59-year-old.

"The stones we built our house with collapsed on us, and then I yelled, 'oh my, I'm dying!' The soils had filled my mouth, nose and ears. Water filled the house to almost my neck level ... I started to shake my husband's body to no avail. He was already dead."

Nearby, another family had abandoned searching for their 16-year-old missing son, who they suspect is buried under the mud.

Efforts to bring aid to those affected by Cyclone Idai are under way in Zimbabwe. President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government is airlifting food to some of the areas where people are still trapped.

Mnangagwa has declared March 23 and 24 national days of mourning.

"I want some shelter, I have none," said one Chimanimani resident. "I have no blankets. No pots. My plates, sofas were all destroyed ... I do not know if I will survive or not."

Farai Sevenzo also contributed to this report.

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2019-03-22 13:58:59Z
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Harrowing scenes after Cyclone Idai with inland ocean visible from outer space - CNN

The harrowing scene described by Zimbabwean Graham Taylor, suggests that the human toll of Cyclone Idai is likely to far exceed official estimates. It follows reports from aid agencies on the ground detailing how entire villages and towns have been completely flooded in the wake of last Thursday's high-end Category 2 storm.

Taylor said the bodies were located on a 6 kilometer (3.7 mile) track of highway, where flood waters had created an inland ocean, submerging entire villages around a "densely populated" sugar-cane plantation. The area is a mere fraction of the land in the southeast African nation left flooded after two major rivers burst their banks in the days following the storm.

Flooding is so extreme in Buzi, central Mozambique, that the water can be seen in satellite images from outer space.

The area is home to some 200,000 people, and CNN spoke to survivors arriving at Praia Nova by boat on Friday.

One man, Abias Felipe, had arrived from the flooded village of Chikezana after surviving the cyclone.

"It broke everything -- there's nothing left there," he told CNN, adding that rescue teams had started to arrive in the area.

"They're starting to come but there's still a lot of people trapped in their homes," said Felipe. "They say there's a lot more rain to come today and tomorrow."

More than one week on from the storm's initial impact, the United Nations has confirmed 242 dead in Mozambique, with 259 lives lost in Zimbabwe and 56 in Malawi.

But information has been slow to emerge and communication with affected areas remains limited. On Monday, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said that "everything indicates that we can have a record of more than 1,000 dead" -- a figure that some experts now believe could be conservative.

Eyewitness account

Taylor, 62, who has lived in Mozambique for 10 years, became stranded on Saturday on the highway to Zimbabwe from Beira, where Cyclone Idai made landfall, after flood waters one-meter high blocked the road.

At 3 a.m. on Monday, he abandoned his car and joined the streams of people wading in the pitch black through the waters along the raised highway.

In the dark, he could hear people "sobbing and crying."

As dawn broke, those sobs began to make sense as a "terrible sight" emerged, Taylor said.

"Dead bodies had floated up (and the) current of the flood water had washed the bodies up against the road," said Taylor. "The road had subsided about 10 inches (25.5 centimeters). So these bodies had been washed up against the main highway."

Taylor said the smell of bodies and livestock was palpable.

Hundreds of others were also attempting to make the congested seven-hour walk from the village of Lamego -- about 90 kilometers (56 miles) inland from Beira -- to Nhamatanda, on higher ground. In places where the current of the flood waters was strong, about 50 people joined hands to make a human chain, said Taylor.

"I'm 6 foot 2 inches (187 centimeters), but the force of water at knee level was powerful," Taylor said. "You had to pay attention and concentrate where you put your feet."

Taylor said he saw an elderly woman carry her husband on her back.

On the road out of Beira, he said "the entire area, as far as I could see, was one lake of floodwater," adding that groups of up to 10 people had climbed eucalyptus, cashew and mango trees waiting to be rescued.

But he also saw people heading back towards the flood zone.

"They said they couldn't account for their families and wouldn't leave until they could do," he said.

Biblical scenes

Cyclone Idai made landfall in Mozambique on midnight local time on Thursday, March 14, with 175 kph (109 mph) winds,

It wasn't the strongest storm to have hit Mozambique, but the region had recently been deluged by heavy rains. After lingering off the coast for days, gathering strength, Idai finally dumped a huge amount of water on Beira -- a city of 500,000 people -- destroying "90%" of the area, according to aid agencies.

One week later, thousands of people remain missing across Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. Millions of others across have been left destitute without food or basic services, according to reports. 

The high commissioner for Mozambique in the UK, Filipe Chidumo, said Wednesday that the country needs "a sustained effort on part of the Mozambican government as well as the international community" to help rescue stranded people, and provide, food, sanitation and water for those at risk.

"This is a big tragedy of biblical proportions," he said, adding that major work will be needed, including the restoration of electricity, water and sanitation to prevent the emergence of waterborne diseases, as well as repairs to public infrastructure.

'The soils had filled my mouth'

After hitting Mozambique, Cyclone Idai tore into Zimbabwe killing many people as they slept.

The 83-year-old husband of one Chimanimani resident was buried alive when their bedroom collapsed on them last Friday. 

"We were sleeping in the house around 10 p.m. in the evening and it was raining. It kept on pouring when rocks sliding from the hill started hitting our house," said the 59-year-old.

"The stones we built our house with collapsed on us, and then I yelled, 'oh my, I'm dying!' The soils had filled my mouth, nose and ears. Water filled the house to almost my neck level ... I started to shake my husband's body to no avail. He was already dead."

Nearby, another family had abandoned searching for their 16-year-old missing son, who they suspect is buried under the mud.

Efforts to bring aid to those affected by Cyclone Idai are under way in Zimbabwe. President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government is airlifting food to some of the areas where people are still trapped.

Mnangagwa has declared March 23 and 24 national days of mourning.

"I want some shelter, I have none," said one Chimanimani resident. "I have no blankets. No pots. My plates, sofas were all destroyed ... I do not know if I will survive or not."

Farai Sevenzo also contributed to this report.

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2019-03-22 12:46:17Z
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The Latest: Non-EU Norway still worried over no-deal Brexit - ABC News

The Latest on Brexit (all times local):

12:55 p.m.

Wholesale florists at London's new Covent Garden Market say the delay to Britain's planned March 29 departure from the European Union is adding to business uncertainty.

Dean Porter of Deanos Flowers says "I think it's a joke and I just want us to get on with it and get out. I've had enough of it."

He says he prefers Britain leave the EU bloc without an agreed withdrawal deal.

He says "we voted to leave."

But florist Dennis Edwards takes the opposite view, hoping that the impasse in Parliament leads to a second referendum that would keep Britain in the union.

He says "I'd vote overwhelmingly to stay."

David Gorton of GB Foliage says the confusion about Brexit is putting a damper on business plans.

He says "there's no confidence. No one is spending any money."

———

12:25 p.m.

The prime minister of non-EU member Norway says there is "still an imminent danger" of Britain crashing out of the bloc without a deal.

Erna Solberg says, "the most important thing" is that Britain works out what it wants and that lawmakers "don't just vote down proposals but vote for a way forward."

Solberg spoke Friday in Brussels where she marked the 25th anniversary of the European Economic Area with counterparts from Iceland and Liechtenstein. They were invited as guests of the European Council.

Late Thursday, EU leaders rejected British Prime Minister Theresa May's request to extend the Brexit deadline from March 29 — just one week away — until June 30.

Instead, they agreed to delay only until May 22, on the eve of EU elections, if May can persuade Britain's Parliament to endorse the Brexit deal. Failing that, Parliament would have until April 12 to choose a new path.

———

11:40 a.m.

Germany's main business lobby group is calling on Britain to put a swift end to the "excruciating uncertainty" companies face and resolve its Brexit impasse.

European Union leaders have agreed to give London a bit more time to try and pass a twice-rejected divorce deal or choose a new path, but the agreement doesn't make any clearer what will ultimately happen.

Joachim Lang, the chief executive of the Federation of German Industries, said that "our companies need clarity. To ensure that, British politicians must conclude the Brexit process as soon as possible."

Lang said that "Parliament in London should weigh the alternatives and accept the withdrawal agreement." He added that "Europe has more to deal with than just the British withdrawal."

———

11:10 a.m.

Labour lawmaker Hilary Benn says Prime Minister Theresa May needs to start considering alternatives to her divorce deal with the European Union to avert the crisis a no-deal Brexit would bring.

The day after EU leaders agreed to extend the deadline for Britain's departure, Benn told the BBC "this is a crisis delayed but this is not a crisis avoided, and we need to get on with it."

Benn, the leader of the House of Commons' Brexit Committee, is calling for debate on alternative proposals to begin Wednesday but says this won't work if May is "not prepared to move an inch."

Benn says it is time to "open up this process" because Parliament has already rejected the prime minister's deal and the option of leaving without a deal.

———

10:45 a.m.

Croatia's prime minister says European Union leaders are protecting their citizens and businesses by setting strict deadlines for Britain's departure from the bloc given the impasse in the U.K.

Andrej Plenkovic said Friday that the EU is safeguarding "the stability, credibility, and reliability of legal system of the union and its institutions and the decisions which are taken."

EU leaders have granted a Brexit delay until May 22 should Prime Minister Theresa May convince Parliament to accept her deal, or failing that until April 12 to take an entirely new approach.

Plenkovic says Croatian citizens want to know whether they will have 12 candidates in the May 23-26 EU polls or only 11, if Britain remains a member country.

He regrets the result of the Brexit referendum in Britain in 2016 and says EU leaders "are negotiating something we didn't want."

———

8:05 a.m.

European Union leaders are gathering again Friday after deciding that the political crisis in Britain over Brexit poses too great a threat to the world's biggest trading bloc.

In a move that underlined their loss of confidence in British Prime Minister Theresa May, the leaders, set two deadlines for Britain to leave or to take an entirely new path in considering its EU future.

At marathon late night talks, the leaders rejected May's request to extend the Brexit deadline from March 29 — just one week away — until June 30.

They agree to delay only until May 22, on the eve of EU elections, if she can persuade Britain's Parliament to endorse the Brexit deal. Failing that, May would have until April 12 to choose a new path.

———

Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit

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2019-03-22 11:24:03Z
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Brexit: What just happened? - BBC News

The EU has agreed to postpone Brexit from next Friday and give UK Prime Minister Theresa May more time to get her deal approved in Parliament.

But - and with Brexit there is always a but - it is not as simple as it may sound. Here is what just happened, why it matters, and what might happen next.

What happened in Brussels?

Mrs May was forced to ask EU leaders to delay Brexit after the UK Parliament twice overwhelmingly rejected the deal she had agreed with the EU on how to withdraw from the bloc and voted against a no-deal exit.

EU leaders are among many who fear the UK leaving the bloc without a deal would lead to chaos.

Mrs May had hoped to persuade the EU to delay the 29 March Brexit date - which is set in law - to 30 June. Instead the 27 EU leaders offered her two dates:

• A delay until 22 May if MPs approve her withdrawal deal in a vote next week
• A shorter delay until 12 April if they reject it. By that time the UK must set out its next steps - either another extension or leaving without a deal

But the EU says a further extension beyond 12 April is only possible if the UK agrees to hold European elections on 23 May.

Mrs May has said the UK will not take part in the vote.

• Here are 10 ways a no-deal could affect people
• A really simple guide to Brexit

The EU's offer means a no-deal Brexit is considerably less likely on 29 March. But it is not off the table yet and the way forward is far from clear.

What will happen next?

MPs are expected to vote for a third time on the Brexit deal, possibly on Tuesday.

Speaker John Bercow had originally refused a third vote on the deal unless what was put forward must be substantially different to be voted on.

If MPs approve her deal...

The UK leaves under Theresa May's EU Withdrawal Agreement on 22 May, a date aimed at enabling Parliament to pass all the legislation needed.

But getting it approved will be a tough task for Mrs May, especially after she angered MPs on Wednesday by going on television to essentially blame them for the impasse.

If MPs reject her deal...

The UK could still leave without a deal on 12 April. Other options include:

• The opposition Labour party could table a vote of no confidence aimed at bringing down Mrs May's government - but it would require the support of some Conservatives
• Mrs May could ask Parliament to hold an early general election or, most unlikely, call another referendum
• Parliament could try to take control of the process and offer a new strategy, possibly a softer version of Mrs May's Brexit such as staying in the EU Customs Union. In that case the EU could reopen talks
• Article 50, the two-year treaty provision that the UK invoked to leave the bloc in 2017, could be revoked by Mrs May, delaying Brexit indefinitely. But she is strongly opposed to that

How does the EU see it?

European diplomats say the bloc has largely lost faith in Mrs May's leadership and that she has lost much of her authority during a tumultuous process.

Mrs May made her case for a delay in a 90-minute presentation to her European counterparts, reassuring them she could win next week's vote in parliament. She then left the room and the discussions continued for eight hours.

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EU leaders were not convinced, reports say. French President Emmanuel Macron said he had thought she had a chance of 10% of approving her deal but after listening to her he had cut his estimate to 5%, Reuters news agency reported.

European Council President Donald Tusk replied that Mr Macron was being "very optimistic", according to the report.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47665289

2019-03-22 11:20:38Z
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