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A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 20 March 2019
UK aims to salvage Brexit deal as EU says: make up your mind

By JILL LAWLESS paralysis, and says it will
LORNE COOK only grant an extension if
Associated Press U.K. politicians break their
LONDON (AP) — Prime Min- deadlock and come up
ister Theresa May’s Brexit with new proposals.
plan has been derailed in “If there is no decision, the
Parliament. Now she is at date of March 29 comes
the mercy of an exasper- and then it’s a ‘no-deal,’”
ated European Union. French European affairs
May was preparing Tues- minister Nathalie Loiseau
day to ask the EU for a said. “For the British to de-
delay of at least several cide nothing is to decide
months to Brexit after the on a ‘no-deal.’”
speaker of the House of Loiseau said U.K. lawmak-
Commons ruled that she ers “have said no to a ‘no-
can’t keep asking lawmak- deal’ and they have said
ers to vote on the same di- no to a realistic deal. They
vorce deal that they have have to change their mind
already rejected twice. on one of the two options.”
Chief EU Brexit negotiator A top official at the French
Michel Barnier said the bloc presidency said a British re-
wouldn’t automatically quest would be assessed
grant the request. He said on “two criteria: Is there
a long extension “must be a new plan likely to win a
linked to something new, a European Union Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, right, talks to Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney majority, and what will be
new event, or a new politi- during a meeting of EU ministers for European Affairs at the EU Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, the impact on the Europe-
cal process.” March 19, 2019. an Union?”
“The real question is, what Associated Press “The EU’s interests will be
is the purpose of it. What is nents and bring her deal Parliament can only vote uled to take place on put before anything else,”
it for?” Barnier said in Brus- back to Parliament before again if the deal is “fun- March 29 — in limbo. said the official, who isn’t
sels. a summit of the 28-nation damentally different” to The prime minister’s Down- authorized to speak public-
“To get out of this uncer- bloc in Brussels on Thursday the version rejected by 230 ing St. office said May will ly in line with the presiden-
tainty, we need choices and Friday. votes in January and 149 send a letter formally re- cy’s customary practices.
and decision from the Unit- That plan was scuttled votes last week. questing an extension to Germany’s European af-
ed Kingdom.” Monday by House of Com- The deadlock leaves Brit- European Council Presi- fairs minister, Michael Roth,
May had hoped to win mons Speaker John Ber- ain’s plan to exit the Euro- dent Donald Tusk on Tues- said he expected “clear
over her domestic oppo- cow, who declared that pean Union — still sched- day or Wednesday. Down- and precise proposals”
ing St. wouldn’t say how from Britain.
long a delay she plans to “We are really exhausted
ask for. by these negotiations,”
If the Brexit deal was ap- Roth said at an EU foreign
proved, May had planned ministers meeting in Brussels
to ask the bloc for an ex- before the leaders’ summit.
tension until June 30 in or- EU leaders have been left
der for Parliament to pass bemused by Bercow’s rul-
the necessary legislation ing, in which he cited a
for Britain’s departure. 400-year-old parliamentary
Now a much longer de- precedent against voting
lay looks likely. May has repeatedly on the same is-
warned opponents that sue.
a failure to approve her “I’ll concede that I wasn’t
agreement would mean a actively aware of the British
long, and possibly indefi- Parliament’s rules of proce-
nite, delay to Britain’s de- dure from the 17th century,
parture from the EU. so I took note of this with in-
It could also mean Britain terest yesterday,” German
crashing out of the bloc Chancellor Angela Merkel
next week without a deal, said.
even though Parliament The British government is
has voted to rule out that enraged at Bercow, believ-
option. ing he has overstepped the
By law, the U.K. will leave bounds of his role as speak-
the EU on March 29, deal or er. As interpreter and en-
no deal, unless it secures a forcer of Parliament’s rules,
delay from the bloc. With- the speaker has broad
drawing without a deal powers. But some minis-
could mean huge disrup- ters have accused him of
tion for businesses and plunging Britain into a con-
people in the U.K. and the stitutional crisis by upset-
27 remaining EU countries. ting the balance of power
The EU is intensely frustrat- between the government
ed with Britain’s political and Parliament.q