European Union leaders have come to a consensus to grant the UK a six-month extension to Brexit, after five hours of discussions in Brussels.
The new deadline – 31st October – liberates everyone from the prospect of the UK having to leave the EU without a deal on Friday, as MPs are to this day still deadlocked over a deal.
European Council President Donald Tusk told his British friends: ‘please do not waste this time’.
Theresa May, who had wanted a shorter delay, said the UK would still aim to leave the EU as soon as possible – eyeing the first 3 weeks of May.
The UK must now hold European elections in May, or leave on 1 June without a deal.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that this was the most sensible decision the EU could have possibly done.
A #Brexit extension until 31 October is sensible since it gives time to UK to finally choose its way. The review in June will allow #EUCO to take stock of the situation -JM
— Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) April 10, 2019