Theresa May will make a desperate plea to the German chancellor and the French president 24 hours before the European Council decide on granting a Brexit delay.
The Prime Minister will meet with the EU’s two big players – Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron – before European leaders gather to decide whether to agree to her request for an extension to Article 50.
May will visit Berlin and Paris on the eve of a summit which will determine the future of Brexit.
And it is unlikely that any compromise deal thrashed out with Labour will be put before MPs ahead of tomorrow.
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May’s current proposal is for Brexit to be extended until June 30, with the option of quitting on May 22 if a deal can be agreed by then.
She will speak to other EU leaders by telephone in the run-up to the crunch meeting, where unanimous agreement will be needed to avoid the UK leaving without a deal on Friday.
Donald Tusk, the European Council president, has recommended a one-year extension to the Brexit process with a break clause to allow an early departure if a withdrawal deal is passed by the Commons.
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France has warned the UK must provide a plan with “clear and credible political backing” in
Westminster if it is to receive a further extension to the two-year Brexit process.
But Macron also promised that his country “will never abandon Ireland”, in a signal that he will stop short of insisting on a no-deal Brexit on Friday.
In jointly released statements, Downing Street and Labour said “technical” talks were restarting after dialogue by phone and email over the weekend.
Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said: “The ball is in the Government’s court.”
