Brexit delay: Theresa May to request ‘short’ extension to Article 50 in letter to EU, says Number 10

Theresa May will write to European Union chiefs today requesting a "short" delay to the date Britain leaves the EU, Number 10 has confirmed.

A Downing Street source told The Independent the prime minister shared the public's "frustration" at parliament's "failure to take a decision".

On Tuesday the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, issued the UK an ultimatum - present a clear plan of action for what happens next, or the EU will reject any extension to Article 50, the clause Britain triggered to start the Brexit process.

As the law currently stand, the UK will leave the EU in nine days, on 29 March, with or without a withdrawal agreement.

Downing Street appeared to be responding to multiple reports that Ms May would write to Donald Tusk, the European Commission president, requesting an extension to the two-year Article 50 negotiating timetable of nine to 12 months.

Such a delay would mean the UK taking part in the EU parliament elections in late May - something negotiators on both sides of the Channel have said they are keen to avoid.

A No10 source said on Wednesday: "PM won't be asking for a long extension. There is a case for giving parliament a bit more time to agree a way forward, but the people of this country have been waiting for nearly three years now."

"They are fed up with parliament's failure to take a decision and the PM shares their frustration," they added," they added.

It is hoped by Downing Street that the prime minister will secure MPs' approval for her twice-defeated withdrawal agreement within the extension period, but there is still no sign of the parliamentary arithmetic changing dramatically in favour of Ms May's plans.

The decision not to request a long extension to Article 50 will be interpreted as an attempt to prevent infuriating Leave-backing Tory MPs, and avoid cabinet-level resignations from prominent Brexiteers.

During a fractious cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, told colleagues: "This used to be the cabinet that would deliver Brexit and now from what I'm hearing it's not."

And the chief secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss, warned that failure to deliver Brexit would mean the UK becomes a "barren land ruled by Jeremy Corbyn".

A short delay, rather than a long delay, would also make the prospect of a no-deal scenario more likely - despite the strength of opinion against such an exit from the EU in parliament.

Speaking on the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme, the education secretary Damian Hinds, added: "I don't see how a long delay gives certainty, actually, we've had a long time already.

"Unless and until a deal is finalised there remains the prospect, the risk, of no deal.

"In terms of timing there has already been two-plus years to do this and I think people are a bit tired of waiting for parliament to get our act together and get the deal finalised."

On Wednesday, Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, said he had not yet received a letter from the prime minister, but was hoping for "clarity" from the UK on the way forward.

He suggested an extension might not be reached at this week's European Council summit, adding: "We will probably have to meet again, because Ms May has not got agreement for anything either in her cabinet or her parliament.

"As long as we don't know what Great Britain will say Yes to, we can't come to a resolution."