EU agrees to ‘Brexit extension’ as UK election looms

Bloomberg

The European Union agreed to grant the UK a three-month Brexit delay to January 31, removing the risk of a damaging no-deal split on Thursday as the British government tries to end the impasse in parliament.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to push a vote in the House of Commons on Monday to trigger an early general election, saying it’s the only way to resolve the deadlock that has stopped the UK ratifying his divorce deal with Brussels and prolonged the uncertainty for businesses as Brexit drags on.
EU Council President Donald Tusk announced delay in tweet; said decision will be formalised without a leaders’ summit.
French President Emmanuel Macron dropped his opposition to three-month delay, paving way for EU agreement.
Johnson needs a two-thirds majority in parliament to win the vote on holding a December 12 general election.
Corbyn said he won’t vote for an election until the UK is no longer at risk of crashing out of the EU without an agreement.
Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party are working together to try to force a snap poll on December 9, reflecting a split with Labour.
Even if he can eventually deliver Brexit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will have less room for maneuver as he confronts a familiar dilemma: How to sever trade ties with the
European Union after four decades of membership without triggering massive disruption to British business and the economy.
Monday’s decision by the EU to delay Britain’s departure by as long as three months means Johnson will have very little time to negotiate a free-trade agreement with the bloc before the end of 2020, when the planned transition period smoothing the UK’s withdrawal is due to end.
The next step in the Brexit extension process is for the European Union to seek the UK’s agreement, per the conditions of Article 50, an EU official said in a text message to reporters. After that’s secured, EU Council President Donald Tusk will begin the “written procedure” to formalise the decision among the remaining 27 EU leaders, with a deadline of 24 hours, the official said.
The aim is for the process to be concluded by Tuesday or Wednesday, the official said.
It’s worth noting that under the terms of the Benn Act, which was passed by parliament to prevent a no-deal Brexit on October 31, Prime Minister Boris Johnson must accept if the EU offers an extension to January 31.
Envoys representing the 27 remaining European Union members agreed to the UK request for a Brexit extension to January 31, EU Council President Donald Tusk said on Twitter. The bloc’s decision will be formalised “through a written procedure,” Tusk said, meaning that there will be no leaders’ summit.
The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, told reporters the diplomats’ meeting was “very short, effective and constructive” as he left the room. The EU27 has agreed that it will accept the UK’s request for a #Brexit flextension until
January 31, 2020. The decision is expected to be formalised through a written procedure.
Envoys from the remaining 27 EU members states debated the wording of two separate documents — a six-page legal decision granting an extension, and a two-page declaration explaining the reasoning.
The Withdrawal Agreement isn’t up for renegotiation during the extension period.