The highly-debated Brexit could be pushed back as far as 2021 instead of its supposed March 29 end date, sources from the European Union have revealed. The news came after Prime Minister Theresa May delayed the vote to March 12.
An EU diplomat told The Guardian, "If leaders see any purpose in extending, which is not a certainty given the situation in the UK, they will not do a rolling cliff-edge but go long to ensure a decent period to solve the outstanding issues or batten down the hatches."
The EU source added that a 21-month extension would make sense at this point, further revealing that talk about the potential delay is already making rounds in Brussels. EU Commission Secretary-General Martin Selmayr is reportedly "fond of the idea," along with other officials who are getting tired of the deadlock.
Another insider told the outlet that some officials are concerned about Britain's domestic stand in terms of trade after the U.K. departs from the union late March.
May said on Sunday that her government is doing everything to ensure that that the U.K. will leave the EU with a sure deal. However, she also said that she will not be presenting at the Commons this week with a revised deal. Instead, May said she will put a new deal on the table by March 12.
When asked about what the EU council president, Donald Tusk, had to say about the potential delay of Brexit, a source close to the official said Tusk has no comment on the issue at the moment.
Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz said during Sunday's summit in Egypt that he would support a delay to Brexit, noting that while a no deal scenario is not good for the EU, it will be "extremely bad" for Britain and its economy.
Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn was unhappy about May's decision to delay the vote. In a tweet, Corbyn said May intended to force MPs to choose between a no deal scenario and her initial Brexit deal that was previously rejected by a historical margin in mid-January.
Aside from announcing that she will be delaying the Brexit vote, May discussed the accusations made by MP Anna Soubry last week. According to BBC News, May dismissed allegations that she had "personal" issues with migrants coming into the country.
Finally, May reiterated that she had plans to keep her post after delivering Brexit. She explained that she still has local purposes for staying in Number 10 despite her promise of staying out of the upcoming elections.
