Brexit delayed AGAIN as EU sign off three-month ‘flextension’ – but UK can quit early if deal done

BREXIT has officially been delayed for the THIRD time today as EU bosses signed off a three-month extension until January 31.

Brussels bosses gave the green light to a “flextension” – with the option of leaving as early as November 30 if a deal is approved by MPs.

This morning’s news means the PM’s “do or die” promise to leave the EU by October 31 has now been completely shattered.

EU boss Donald Tusk said today: “The EU27 has agreed that it will accept the UK’s request for a flextension until 31 January 2020. The decision is expected to be formalised through a written procedure.”

It means there will be no special EU summit to rubber stamp the decision.

Today Boris refused to resign to breaking his promise, or say sorry.

His spokesperson said he was “going to get on delivering on the nation’s priorities”, and he blamed Parliament for standing in the way of delivering Brexit.

The PM will open tonight’s crunch debate on an election after 5.30pm.

A No10 source claimed today that if their bid for an election flopped this evening they would try again tomorrow with a different route – a Lib Dem-SNP plot.

They said: “Tonight is Labour’s last chance to have election with Brexit delivered – they can vote for 12th and get Brexit done before.

“If not, we will introduce a Bill almost identical to the Lib Dem/SNP tomorrow.”

That would mean abandoning his Brexit bill for now and going straight to the polls having not delivered Brexit.

It comes as:

• Boris will try to ram through an election tonight in the Commons to break the deadlock in Parliament, but he’s set to lose for a third time as Labour still won’t back him
• Corbyn and his top team are set to abstain tonight
• Speaker John Bercow will quit on Thursday October 31 – the day Britain was supposed to leave the EU
• Ex-Tory rebels including Philip Hammond and David Gauke said they wouldn’t back a snap vote this evening

The news will heap pressure on MPs to back the PM’s election call tonight – as No Deal can’t now happen on October 31.

But Mr Corbyn is still set to try and wriggle out of a poll by arguing that the PM could still take Britain out without a trade deal in December 2020.

Last night he said the three month election would not be enough to vote for an election.

“No, because it’s still there in his mind, it’s still there in the bill, and it’s still there as a threat,” he told reporters in Scotland.

“It’s got to be completely removed before we’ll support an election. We want an election as soon as that’s removed and it’s in his hands to do so.”

MPs think that Labour will lose a snap poll – and their seats – and are refusing to back one.

This morning Labour’s ex-General Secretary Iain McNichol said the leftie leader’s poll ratings were “not good” and the Labour leader was “fresh” back in 2017.

He warned that the Tories won’t make the same mistakes as in 2017 and said it would be “very difficult” to win a snap poll.

THIRD BREXIT DELAY

This will be the THIRD time that EU bosses have had to extend Article 50 and delay Brexit, to the fury of Leave voters.

Tory Party Chairman James Cleverly said this morning: “Quite clear that the People’s Vote campaign isn’t going to resolve anything, we have to have a general election.”

The PM was forced to request the three-month extension by the Benn Act after MPs tacked on a wrecking amendment to his Bill two weeks ago.

Last week the PM got support for his deal to pass through its next stage in Parliament, but they failed to back his fast-tracked three day timetable.

Today the PM will demand MPs back an early election to break the Brexit deadlock in Parliament – but wants them to push through his EU exit bill first.

Boris Johnson has already had two requests for an election refused and is likely to lose a third bid to have a vote on December 12.

Under the terms of the flexible extension, our exit date could be moved forward to the end of November or the last day of December if there is a breakthrough in the Commons by then.

LIB DEM-SNP PLOT

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson and the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford have put forward a tightly-drafted Bill that would grant an election on December 9.

Mr Blackford said this morning: “It is confirmed by the EU that we will not be leaving on the 31st Oct. @BorisJohnson has failed to take us off the cliff edge, he has been defeated again. Let us have the election. @thesnp will do its job and put across our message that those in Scotland should decide our future.”

Last night No10 refused to rule out the plan, which would mean an earlier vote and for Boris to ditch his bill.

This morning Gavin Williamson said the Government would look at “all options” to force an election.

Crucially, under this plan the PM would only need the vote of half of the Commons, not two thirds as the Fixed Term Parliaments Act requires.

Government aide Bim Afolami told the BBC last night he was “not necessarily averse” to the Lib Dem-SNP plan.

“What I’d really prefer is a government version of it that still built in somehow that we could do the WAB first, but we’ll see where we get to.”

The PM’s top team are split over whether to formally ditch the bill and go for an election, or try one more time at ramming it through first.