EU chiefs have warned that the latest Brexit delay to 31 January 2020 “may be the last one”.
Yesterday, Donald Tusk tweeted: “please make the best use of this time” – so is this the last delay?
Will there be any more delays to Brexit?
Brits voted to leave the European Union on June 23, 2016. Then on March 29 2017 Theresa May then triggered Article 50 which began the withdrawal agreement.
Brexit was supposed to start on March 29 2019, but that then got pushed back to May 22, then October 31 and now it’s gone to January 31.
Mr Johnson is adamant that this will be the last delay in his fight to get Britain out of the European Union.
What has the EU said?
On Tuesday, Mr Tusk tweeted: “I also want to say goodbye to you as my mission here is coming to an end,” the former Polish prime minister wrote in a message addressed “to my British friends”.
“I will keep my fingers crossed for you.”
He added that the formal decision to offer a three-month delay to avoid a no-deal Brexit has been rubber stamped.
Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission recently said that Brexit had been a “waste of time and a waste of energy”.
A statement from the European Council said: “The European Council has adopted a decision to extend the period under Article 50.3, in the context of the UK’s intention to withdraw from the EU.
“The extension will last until 31 January 2020 to allow more time for the ratification of the withdrawal agreement. The withdrawal can take place earlier on 1 December 2019 or 1 January 2020, if the withdrawal agreement is ratified by both parties.
“For the duration of the extension the United Kingdom remains a member state with all the rights and obligations set out in the treaties and under EU law.
“The decision was taken unanimously by the European Council by written procedure, with the agreement of the UK.”
