UK PM Johnson will ask for Brexit extension

UK PM Johnson will ask for Brexit extension
UK PM Johnson will ask for Brexit extension

British Prime Minister BorisJohnson will send a letter to the European Union asking for a Brexit delay ifno divorce deal has been reached by Oct. 19, the government acknowledged forthe first time on Friday.

With the clock ticking down toBritain's departure on Oct. 31, Johnson has consistently said he will not askfor a Brexit delay, but also that he will not break a law that forces him torequest one if no withdrawal agreement deal has been agreed.

He has not explained the apparentcontradiction in his comments and opponents say they believe he will seek somekind of legal escape route or try to pressure the EU into refusing to agree toan extension request.

On Wednesday, Johnson submittednew proposals to the EU that he hopes will lead to a withdrawal agreement,although the bloc has responded with deep scepticism, saying more concessionsare needed if a no-deal Brexit is to be avoided.

Just over a week after a BritishSupreme Court ruling that Johnson had suspended parliament unlawfully and weeksbefore the deadline, anti-Brexit campaigners again turned to judges to try toensure the exit will be delayed if no deal to smooth the transition has beenagreed.

They filed two linked challengesto Johnson in Scotland's senior courts, seeking an order forcing him to abideby the "Benn Act". This was the law passed by parliament last monthrequiring Johnson to seek a Brexit delay if he has not agreed a withdrawalagreement in the next two weeks.

If he does not, they want thecourt to use its powers, not available to English judges, to write to EUleaders itself requesting an extension on his behalf.

While saying he will comply withthe law, Johnson has said he would rather be "dead in a ditch" thanask for any delay and that Britain will leave the EU "do or die" onOct. 31.

With time running out, EuropeanCouncil President Donald Tusk and EU parliament head, David Sassoli, are due inBerlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday.

Sassoli will also see FrenchPresident Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday and Johnson in London later onTuesday.

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