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EU will delay Brexit until February if Johnson fails to ratify deal

October 20, 2019
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk attend a joint news conference with European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and Ireland's Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar at the European Union leaders summit, in Brussels, Belgium Oct. 17, 2019. Reuters
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk attend a joint news conference with European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and Ireland's Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar at the European Union leaders summit, in Brussels, Belgium Oct. 17, 2019. Reuters

LONDON — The European Union will delay Brexit until February 2020 if Prime Minister Boris Johnson is unable to get his deal past parliament this week, The Sunday Times reported.

The delay would be "fungible", meaning that Britain could leave earlier, on Nov. 1 or 15, December or January, if his deal is ratified before the extension ends, the newspaper said, citing diplomatic sources.

No decision will be taken until EU governments have the chance to assess the chances of the withdrawal treaty getting through parliament before Tuesday this week, the newspaper added.

EU diplomats and officials told Reuters on Sunday that, depending on the next developments in London, extension options range from just an additional month until the end of November to half a year or longer. Reuters


October 20, 2019
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