Theresa May has arrived in Paris where she will urge the French President Emmanuel Macron to back her case for a delay to Brexit at a crunch EU summit tomorrow.
The British Prime Minister travelled from Berlin where she met German Chancellor Angela Merkel for a “working lunch” over which they agreed on the importance of an “orderly withdrawal” from the EU, Downing Street said.
In recent days Mr Macron has warned that an extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process is not guaranteed.
The visits came as the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said Brussels could amend the Political Declaration on future relations with the UK “within a few hours or days” to incorporate the customs union arrangement being discussed in cross-party talks between the Government and Labour.
But there were signs of resistance in Mrs May’s Cabinet to compromise with Labour, with International Trade Secretary Liam Fox warning that a customs union would leave the UK “stuck in the worst of both worlds”.
Mrs May has asked for the date of Brexit to be delayed until June 30 at Wednesday’s summit, with the possibility of an earlier departure if the UK’s withdrawal deal is ratified.
MPs backed her call in a Commons vote today afternoon as they approved a Government motion for Mrs May to seek an extension to June 30 by 420 votes to 110, majority 310.
But European Council president Donald Tusk is recommending a year-long delay, while French Europe minister Amelie de Montchalin suggested Paris may insist on conditions limiting British influence on EU decision-making during the extension period.
The unanimous agreement of all 27 remaining EU states is needed to avoid a no-deal Brexit on the scheduled date of April 12.
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