May will not seek long Brexit extension, says Downing Street

Theresa May will ask for only a short extension to article 50 delaying Brexit by less than three months, after a revolt among pro-leave ministers and MPs that threatened her premiership.

The Britihs prime minister had previously intended to agree a longer extension with the EU involving European parliamentary elections if her withdrawal agreement did not pass by Wednesday.

However, pro-Brexit cabinet ministers left her in no doubt that would not be acceptable to them and anger among MPs was also growing.

A Downing Street source said: “The PM won’t be asking for a long extension. There is a case for giving parliament a bit more time to agree a way forward, but the people of this country have been waiting nearly three years now. They are fed up with parliament’s failure to take a decision and the PM shares their frustration.”

Mrs May will now write to Donald Tusk, the European council president, setting out her request but the UK will need the approval of all 27 member states for the extension to be granted. The EU has said the UK needs to set out a purpose for the extension.

In response to the latest developments, Labour MP Alison McGovern is to file a motion on Wednesday seeking an emergency debate on the Brexit issue. Her office is reported as saying that this would be about the length of the Article 50 estension.

Ms McGovern’s office said the so-called SO24 emergency debate motion would be a very short statement on Brexit and would be aimed at securing a debate in parliament. It is not clear if that would trigger a vote. It is up to parliament’s speaker to decide whether to press ahead with the move, after which Ms

McGovern would make a three minute speech on the case for such a debate and then parliament would have to agree that the debate should take place.