Brexit: UK Premier Theresa May says EU talks need ‘a little more time’

LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May s a i d o n Tues d a y s h e believed she could reach a Brexit deal that Parliament could support, allowing UK to leave the European Union on March 29.

In a statement to Parliament on her negotiations with the EU to secure changes to the Brexit deal, May said again she did not see a customs union as proposed by the opposition Labour Party as the way to secure agreement.

“The talks are at a crucial stage and we now all need to hold our nerve to get the changes this House requires and deliver Brexit on time,” she said. “By getting the changes we need to the backstop; by protecting and enhancing workers’ rights and environmental protections and by enhancing the role of parliament in the next phase of negotiations, I believe we can reach a deal that this House can support.”

The British economy, meanwhile, has not had a worse year since the global financial crisis and Brexit uncertainty is clearly to blame. The government even admits it.

Official figures released Monday showed that a lack of clarity over Brexit weighed on businesses throughout 2018 and kept a lid on their investments.

For 2018 as a whole, the economy grew by 1.4%. The last time it performed so weakly was in 2012, during Europe’s debt crisis. The last time it had a worse year was in 2009. AGENCIES