No Brexit extension beyond Oct 31, says EU’S Juncker
Strasbourg (France): The European Union is not likely to extend the Brexit negotiation period beyond the current - and already delayed date of October 31, EU Commission President Jean-claude Juncker said on Tuesday.
The Luxembourg politician told a European Parliament plenary that if the UK government fails to ratify the withdrawal deal -- an almost 600-page document negotiated with the EU -- before October 31 then it would crash out in a so-called hard Brexit.
He warned that the UK must also prepare to take part in upcoming European parliamentary elections or face an earlier exit than scheduled, Efe news reported. “If the UK is a member on May 23, it must organize European elections, if it does not do so and the withdrawal deal is not ratified by May 22, the extension ends on May 31,” he said, adding that the stipulation was founded on a legal basis.
The European Parliament becomes illegal if a member state fails to run in the elections and therefore has representation in the chamber. The UK has 73 MEPS. Juncker said the UK government led by Prime Minister Theresa May could revoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the mechanism that officially notified the EU of its intention to leave, if it wishes. May’s deal has been shot down in the House of Commons, the UK’S lower chamber of Parliament, three times. The Conservative leader was engaged in talks with the opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in a bid to strike a consensus that would command a parliamentary majority.