Britain seeks postponement as Boris Johnson fights ‘Brexit wreckers’

The British government has formally asked the EU for a delay to Brexit — but also sent a letter from Boris Johnson arguing against it.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has not signed the letter asking the EU to delay Brexit and sent another saying he does not want to postpone.

Mr Johnson was forced to request a postponement after parliament voted on Saturday to delay a decision on whether to back his Brexit deal.

A law passed last month compelled the government to try to postpone Britain’s departure if no deal was agreed by Saturday.

British media said Mr Johnson made it clear in the correspondence that he personally opposes an extension.

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A Downing Street source said Mr Johnson had sent a photocopy of the letter contained in the law that requires him to ask for the delay if there is no Brexit deal, but he didn’t sign it.

The Prime Minister has however signed another letter, which makes clear he does not want to delay Brexit beyond the end of this month.

A third letter written by British EU ambassador Tim Barrow explains that the Brexit delay letter is only being sent to comply with the law.

Mr Johnson was required to send the request after MPs declined to back his Brexit deal during a special sitting of parliament on Saturday.

EU Council President Donald Tusk confirmed he had received the request of an extension.

“The extension request has just arrived. I will now start consulting EU leaders on how to react,” he tweeted.

The extension request has just arrived. I will now start consulting EU leaders on how to react. #Brexit

— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) October 19, 2019

EU leaders may take several days to decide on the extension request.

Earlier, Mr Johnson said he would tell EU leaders that “further delay would be bad for this country, bad for the European Unionand bad for democracy”.

“I will not negotiate a delay with the European Union,” Mr Johnson told MPs and peers in a separate letter sent to them after Saturday’s vote.

“I will tell the EU what I have told the British public for my 88 days as Prime Minister a further delay is not the solution.’’

The move by parliament aims to prevent Britain from leaving the European Union on October 31 without a transitional deal in place because the necessary legislation could not be ratified in time.

The “Brexit wrecking’’ vote, put forward by Tory rebel Sir Oliver Letwin garnered support from Labour, the DUP, as well as a small cohort of Tory rebels and was passed 322-306. It means that legislation has to be passed before the parliament will consider giving its final Brexit approval, and so the big decision on whether the UK would accept the fresh EU-Johnson deal was not put to a vote.

The Benn Act, and the most recent Letwin amendment compels Mr Johnson to request a Brexit extension to the end of January 2020 so that there will not be a hard no-deal Brexit on the legal departure date of October 31.

A letter written by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and addressed to British politicians, saying he will tell the EU that "further delay is not a solution", and that he will not negotiate a Brexit delay with the European Union.

But in the letter to MPs Mr Johnson insisted: “I have made it clear that I do not want more delay. European leaders have made it clear they do not want more delay. It is my great regret that today the House has voted for more delay.’’

He added: “The public want us to get Brexit done so the country can move on. The best thing of the UK and the EU is for us to leave with this new deal on October 31.’’

France has issued a statement from the Elysee Palace saying there was nothing to be gained by delayng a decision on the Brexit deal. President Emmanuel Macron has previously indicated he was fed up with the antics of Westminster.

“It is now up to the British parliament to say if it approves or rejects it (the deal),’’ the French statement said.

“There must be a vote on the fundamentals”.

The French position comes as the Speaker of the House John Bercow indicated he may not allow a reading of the bill in parliament next week.

The European parliament vice-president Mairead McGuineess told the BBC that the atmosphere was quite frightening and “I can feel the tension’’.

With agencies