European leaders agreed to grant another extension to Britain’s membership of the EU at an emergency summit on Wednesday night, offering the UK a delay to its departure date until Halloween – 31 October.
Theresa May travelled to Brussels where she pleaded with EU leaders to delay Brexit until 30 June, rather than see the UK crash out without deal on Friday.
Most EU leaders appeared ready to back Donald Tusk’s proposal of a longer delay, but a decision was held up by French President Emmanuel Macron, who insisted on “no long extension”.
Here’s how the day unfolded:
Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of another crunch day in the UK's long and winding journey out of the EU.
Theresa May is today set to repeat her call to extend Britain's membership of the bloc until 30 June, as the prospect of a no-deal Brexit on Friday looms.
But European leaders are expected to offer a longer "flextension" of up to a year. Such an option would allow Britain to leave earlier if the Brexit deadlock in Westminster is broken.
European leaders are "tired and fed up" with the UK's Brexit indecision, according to one EU diplomat.
Speaking anonymously to Reuters, they said: "People are tired and fed up - but what to do? We won't be the ones pushing the UK off the cliff edge."
Theresa May is heading to Brussels later today for an emergency summit, where she will plead with the EU for a delay to Brexit.
But EU leaders are considering giving Ms May a Brexit extension until the end of the year, warning the PM that she needed “a clear plan with credible political backing” if she wanted the delay to avert no deal on Friday.
More from our Europe correspondent Jon Stone:
Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I don't want to see a delay for up to a year.
"But, the key with any delay is we are able to terminate it once we ratify in order that we can then get on and get a deal through parliament, ratify that agreement and leave the EU.
"And I think that is what the EU leaders want, it is what the prime minister wants."
Asked if the EU was now in control of the situation, Mr Barclay said: "That is a consequence of parliament, not the government.
"The government has agreed a deal with the EU. It is parliament that has forced this on the government."
On talks with Labour, Mr Barclay said: "If they fail, the PM has said that we will come back to parliament and look at how we then get clarity on a vote.
"One of the challenges there will be is how we have a stable majority to pass the legislation that would follow that vote.
"But, we would come back to parliament and seek to get a consensus on the various options."
Stephen Barclay also echoed concerns from international trade secretary Liam Fox about joining a permanent customs union with the EU. Labour has been pushing for an agreement on customs in talks with No10.
But Mr Barclay told Today: "I don't think a permanent customs union is a good way forward.
"We have actually negotiated something better in the political declaration."
Here's our piece on Dr Fox's concerns from yesterday:
Karin Kneissl told Today: "In principle, I'm of the impression that this is somehow settled.
"But, still, I assume that a lot of conditions might be attached."
Party leader Arlene Foster and Westminster leader Nigel Dodds both accused Ms May of "begging" European leaders for help to break the impasse.
The UK is due to leave the EU on Friday if Theresa May is not granted an extension at the emergency summit today.
Let's look at how the week will pan out:
- Wednesday April 10
After Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday afternoon, Ms May will head to Brussels for an emergency meeting of the European Council.
She will ask the leaders of the 27 remaining EU nations to grant her an extension of Article 50 to June 30.
European Council president Donald Tusk has suggested EU leaders grant the UK a longer extension of up to one year.
- Thursday April 11
Ms May is likely to outline plans in the wake of the EU summit to MPs.
- Friday April 12
This is when the UK is scheduled to leave the EU after MPs repeatedly rejected the PM's deal.
"If we become independent we get to sit at that table - enjoying the same solidarity shown to Ireland - instead of being sidelined by Westminster."
Stanley Johnson - father of Boris - told LBC he has "thrown his hat in the ring" as a Tory candidate in the upcoming European elections.
He said: "The idea that we should be talking down these Euro elections is absurd. If we’re staying in we may as well do what is required which is to fight the elections.
“And if we’re going to do that we may as well fight to win.
“And if we do win, as Conservatives, then I think we should have a really constructive role to play out there."
He added: "I am worried that we the Conservatives are not going to give this European election the positive force that we ought to be giving it."
The EU is now "in control" of Brexit because parliament has "refused" to approve the government's exit deal, Stephen Barclay has said.
As Theresa May prepares to head to Brussels to try to stop the EU imposing a long delay to Brexit, the Brexit secretary accused parliament of "refusing to honour the referendum result" and said this meant control of the process had been handed Brussels.
More here:
More than half of the public would like the Brexit deal to be put to a referendum, according to a new poll.
The Kantar poll found that 51% of Britons would like a referendum to be held on the deal once talks have ended.
One in three - 32% - would not like a public referendum to be held, and the remaining 17% do not know.
Support for a referendum on the deal includes 35% of people who voted Leave in the 2016 referendum and 67% of people who voted Remain.
The Kantar poll also put Labour three points ahead of the Conservative Party on voting intention.
Some 35% of the public would vote for Labour, the poll found, while 32% would vote Conservative.
The poll shows a nine-point drop in support for the Conservative Party compared to the same poll last month, and a four-point gain for Labour.
The Liberal Democrats polled at 11%, Ukip at 7%, the SNP at 5%, the Green Party at 4% and Plaid Cymru at 1%.
