Brexit: Theresa May to set off on whirlwind tour of Europe in frantic bid to secure extension before EU summit

Theresa May will undertake a whirlwind tour of European capitals in a bid to secure more time to lock in a withdrawal deal before Brexit.

The prime minister will meet both German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Emmanuel Macron, who has taken a more bullish position with the UK over Brexit.

Ms May has cancelled her weekly cabinet on Tuesday to facilitate the meetings, and is also expected to hold a series of calls with other leaders.

It comes as she continues in cross-party discussions with Labour in a bid to chart a course forward, though no face-to-face meetings were scheduled as of Monday morning.

The prime minister is expected to see Ms Merkel in Berlin on Tuesday afternoon, before heading to Paris for a meeting with Mr Macron.

Ms May’s spokesperson said: “She always engages with European leaders in the lead-up to council. This is obviously a unique council, that is particularly focused on Brexit.

“The prime minister set out a clear ask in her letter to Donald Tusk on Friday in terms of an extension and she believes it’s important that she can set out the rationale for that ask as widely as possible in the lead up to council.”

At an emergency European Council summit on Wednesday night, Ms May will seek a short extension to the Article 50 negotiating period, to allow her more time to get some kind of Brexit deal through the House of Commons.

While Ms Merkel’s influence on the outcome is clear, Mr Macron’s position has come under increased scrutiny because he has appeared, publicly at least, more willing to allow the situation to move towards a no-deal Brexit.

The prime minister is also due to speak to a number of other European leaders by telephone later today, with officials suggesting the ring-around will be wider then before other summits.

The trips before Wednesday’s council mean that the usual Tuesday cabinet meeting will be struck off, a gathering which could have seen sparks fly amid Brexiteer anger at the apparent shift towards a softer Brexit.

Solicitor general Robert Buckland told the BBC’s Westminster Hour that a customs union would bring an end to freedom of movement and amounts to delivering on the “vast majority of the aims of Brexit”.

The Independent understands that ministers hope further talks with Labour could occur on Tuesday evening, though it is unclear at this point if they plan to set out an offer of a compromise to the party’s leader Jeremy Corbyn to facilitate the talks.

While there was briefing over the weekend that Ms May is considering offering Labour a customs union in all but name as an incentive to reach a deal, no plan had been tabled by Monday morning.

Ms May is likely to highlight the ongoing process with Labour when she goes to Brussels, as a reason that European leaders should grant the short extension to Article 50 that she wants, rather than a long one.

In the end, it is likely that the extension may be long, but with a potential escape route if the UK can find a way of gaining a parliamentary majority for a Brexit deal.