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As it happenedended

Brexit news - live: EU leaders agree to extend Article 50 until end of October

Live updates from Westminster and Brussels

Ashley Cowburn
Political Correspondent
,Lizzy Buchan,Adam Forrest
Wednesday 10 April 2019 18:55 EDT
Comments
'The UK should have left the EU by now' Theresa May says the UK needs a Brexit extension in order to get a deal through Parliament

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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:

Theresa May has been putting the ground work in ahead of the EU summit, with a call to Dutch PM Mark Rutte. He has been a helpful ally to May throughout the Brexit talks so she may have wanted to ensure his support.

Lizzy Buchan10 April 2019 10:23

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "Tonight, 12 of the 27 EU member states that will decide the UK's future have populations smaller than or similar in size to Scotland's.

"If we become independent we get to sit at that table - enjoying the same solidarity shown to Ireland - instead of being sidelined by Westminster."

Lizzy Buchan10 April 2019 10:33

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."

Lizzy Buchan10 April 2019 10:48

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:

Lizzy Buchan10 April 2019 11:08

Lizzy Buchan10 April 2019 11:25

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.

Lizzy Buchan10 April 2019 11:39

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%.

Lizzy Buchan10 April 2019 11:47

Here's today's order paper:

Lizzy Buchan10 April 2019 11:55

PMQs is starting now, a few minutes late.

Here are the MPs with questions

Lizzy Buchan10 April 2019 12:04

Tory MP Craig Tracey gets the first question. He asks May if she agrees that the best way to honour the result of the referendum is to leave with no deal.

May says she agrees the government will make a success of any Brexit but she would like to leave in an orderly manner.

Lizzy Buchan10 April 2019 12:06

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