Brexit extension beyond Halloween ‘now priced in’
The chances of a Brexit deal appear to have ebbed further yesterday, with one government source telling City PM an extension was now “priced in” to their thinking.
Neither side is willing to publicly admit defeat, for fear of being blamed, but Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and EU negotiator Michel Barnier both said it would be “very difficult” to reach an agreement before the European Council, which starts a week today (Thursday).
Downing Street insist a deal can still be met if the EU “matches the UK’s compromise”.
But privately officials have conceded an extension beyond Halloween is the most likely outcome, despite Boris Johnson’s “do or die” pledge.
“It is priced in that we are not going to leave on 31st,” said one source.
Brexit secretary Steve Barclay will be in Brussels today to meet with Barnier to “discuss the state of play following a week of technical talks”.
However it is thought this is not expected to yield any breakthrough.
Separately, the new European Parliament president David Sassoli raised eyebrows by revealing he had told Commons speaker John Bercow that Brussels would back a Brexit extension if the final decision is put to UK voters.
Sassoli, who was in London on Tuesday to meet the Prime Minister, told his fellow MEPs that he and Bercow discussed how an extension could be agreed “in order to have time for a general election or a referendum.”
Any extension request would have to come from the UK, he added.
Sassoli told the plenary session: “John Bercow and I fully agreed on the important role that our parliaments play in the Brexit process.
“There is also a common awareness that a disorderly exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union would be against the interests of British and European citizens.”
The UK’s latest offer “constitutes ideas rather than operable proposals that can operate immediately”, the Italian politician added.
Speaking during the same session European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said he would not accept this blame game, “which started in London”.
He added: “I would like to repeat to the attention of our British friends that there is not only a parliament in Westminster which has to agree, there is a parliament here.”
Main image: Getty