Brexit news - live: MPs vote for June extension as May meets Merkel and Macron ahead of crunch Brussels summit
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Your support makes all the difference.MPs voted to authorise Theresa May to seek a Brexit delay until 30 June, amid fresh warnings from France and Germany over the details of any extension.
The prime minister personally appealed to Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron during meetings on Tuesday, while European Council president Donald Tusk said there was “little reason to believe” Brexit could be sorted by June.
His comments come ahead of a crunch Brussels summit on Wednesday, at which EU leaders will decide whether to approve the prime minister’s request or offer a longer delay.
All 27 remaining EU heads of government must agree to an extension if the UK is to avoid the default position of a no-deal Brexit on Friday night.
See how the day unfolded below:
Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said he is confident an agreement on extending the Brexit deadline will be reached at a crunch EU summit.
The taoiseach will fly to Brussels tomorrow where EU leaders will discuss Theresa May's request to delay Brexit.
Speaking in the Irish parliament, Mr Varadkar said: "I sincerely hope that it will be possible to build sufficient consensus in Westminster to enable ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement and an orderly Brexit thereafter.
"From Ireland's perspective, we are open to extending the deadline to allow time for these discussions to run their course and come to a conclusion.
"Above all, we want the Withdrawal Agreement to be ratified so that negotiations can begin on a future relationship, we, I hope and expect, can be a new economic partnership between the UK and the EU that is as close as can be achieved.
"All this will be discussed at the European Council tomorrow.
"There will be different views, but I am confident that we will reach agreement there.
"However, given the ongoing uncertainty in London, we need to continue our preparations for a no-deal."
Theresa May met Emmanuel Macron this afternoon, to discuss an extension to the article 50 process to 30 June.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “Following the PM’s letter to Donald Tusk last week, the leaders discussed the UK’s request for an extension of Article 50 to June 30th, with the option to bring this forward if a deal is ratified earlier.
“The Prime Minister updated President Macron on the ongoing talks with the Opposition to agree a way forward that respects the result of the 2016 referendum.
“They also discussed upcoming European Parliamentary elections with the PM saying that the government was working very hard to avoid the need for the UK to take part.”
The Tories' own research is telling them young people are not stupid enough to vote for them anymore, says Independent sketchwriter Tom Peck.
Read his piece here:
Nicky Morgan received death threats relating to Brexit, it has emerged as a man admitted sending threatening messages to a group of MPs.
The former cabinet minister was one of seven politicians, including Labour’s Yvette Cooper, who received threatening and racially aggravated messages between 4 December, 2018 and 21 January this year.
Jarod Kirkman, 51, pleaded guilty to seven charges at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Bedfordshire Police said.
The force said Kirkman, of Torquay Drive in Luton, set up a “fake email address” to send the threats but was tracked down by officers.
Following the plea Ms Morgan told the Press Association the messages were death threats “related to Brexit”. She said: “I am very grateful to the police for how seriously they took this matter.”
Tory MP Huw Merriman defied party whips earlier by addressing a People’s Vote event to explain that he now supports a second referendum because “Parliament has failed”.
Here’s Sean O’Grady with more on the shifting mood among some pro-Brexit MPs.
The BBC’s Brussels reporter Adam Fleming has had a sneak peek of the draft conclusions by the 27 EU countries deciding on an extension, and he suggests the UK will have to hold European elections if it wants the option of staying longer than 1 June.
Not content with quoting Jesus in recent Commons remarks, staunch ERG-er Mark Francois has peppered his latest speech with references to Moses, the story of the Trojan Horse and “perfidious albion on speed”.
The US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin has said the Trump administration is preparing for the possibility of a “hard Brexit”.
He told a hearing of the US House Committee on Financial Services: “I think at this point we need to be prepared for a hard Brexit as a very realistic outcome.”
The US is monitoring developments and working with regulators to prepare for any market or trade disruptions, he said.
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