New Brexit delay likely amid Tory anger

Pro-Brexit leave the European Union supporters wave flags in Parliament Square. Photo / AP

British Prime Minister Theresa May acknowledged that the Government's strategies to get her Brexit deal approved in Parliament had failed, saying there's little prospect MPs will back the thrice-rejected divorce agreement "in the near future".

With the UK once again days away from a deadline for leaving the European Union, May pressured Opposition MPs to help her find a compromise agreement instead, saying voters "expect their politicians to work together when the national interest demands it".

After May's deal with the EU struck out for a third time in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister invited the Opposition Labour Party last week to discuss alternatives.

But three days of talks ended with no agreement and Labour accused May's Conservative Government of not offering real change.

"I haven't noticed any great change in the Government's position so far," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said yesterday.

"I'm waiting to see the red lines move." Labour favours a softer form of Brexit than the Government has advocated. The party says Britain should remain closely bound to EU trade rules and maintain the bloc's standards in areas such as workers' rights and environmental protection.

The Observer reported that May is being warned by her MPs that they will move to oust her within weeks if Britain is forced to take part in European elections next month and extend its EU membership beyond June.

The newspaper says Tory MPs are angry at voters being asked to go to the polls to elect MEPs three years after the Brexit referendum.

They fear the election will be boycotted by many Conservatives and "be a gift to the far right and Nigel Farage's new Brexit party".

The Telegraph reports that Conservative activists are refusing to campaign for the party and donations have "dried up" because members feel that May has betrayed them over Brexit and the Government has "completely lost touch with voters", council candidates have warned.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, more than 100 current and would-be Tory councillors state that they are unable to muster the volunteers needed to effectively fight next month's local elections because "belief in the party they joined is gone".

Britain is due to leave the EU on Saturday NZT unless May can secure another delay from the EU, which had already agreed to postpone the Brexit day originally set for March 29. May now is asking for Britain's departure to be pushed back until June 30, hoping to reach a compromise with Labour and a deal through Parliament in a matter of weeks.

But EU leaders favour a longer delay to avoid another round of cliff-edge preparations and politics. And they say the UK needs to put forward a concrete plan to end the stalemate to get any further postponement.

An extension requires unanimous approval from the 27 remaining leaders, some of whom are fed up with Brexit uncertainty and reluctant to prolong it further.

The leaders of EU member countries are due to meet in Brussels on Thursday to consider Britain's request for a second extension.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said that it was "extremely unlikely" any of the 27 countries would veto a delay. "If one country was to veto an extension and, as a result, impose hardship on us, real problems for the Dutch and Belgians and French as neighbouring countries (to the UK) ... they wouldn't be forgiven for it," he said.

- AP, Telegraph Group Ltd