EU ambassadors have agreed to delay Brexit, but will not make a decision on a new deadline date until next week.
EU spokesperson Mina Andreeva said work on this would “continue in the coming days”.
The talks came after Chancellor Sajid Javid admitted the government’s deadline to deliver Brexit next Thursday “can’t be met”.
MPs are expected on Monday to consider the prime minister’s call for an early general election.
Boris Johnson says he wants to hold one on 12 December, if the EU offers a Brexit delay until 31 January.
But the chances of enough MPs backing the motion – which under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act requires the support of two-thirds of MPs – appear uncertain, with Labour not committing to how it plans to vote.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was only prepared to agree to an election once the PM had completely ruled out “to my satisfaction” the possibility of a no-deal Brexit .
“My position is we’ve got to get no-deal taken off the table first,” he told ITV’s This Morning programme.
“Providing the prime minister comes to Parliament on Monday and makes it absolutely clear he is going to make sure that there is no crash out – because his deal includes the possibility of a no-deal exit… if he comes on Monday and says that, then OK.”
BBC Brussels correspondent Adam Fleming said the ambassadors’ meeting had been described as “constructive”, with “full agreement on the need for an extension” to the Brexit deadline.
Earlier, Mr Javid told BBC Breakfast the government had to “accept we won’t be able to leave on 31 October”.
He added that ministers “had done everything possible” to leave the EU by the end of the month, but “everyone expects an extension”.
Thursday, April 18, 2024