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France Alone in Rejecting Three-Month Extension: Brexit Update

France pushing for a one-month delay to Nov. 30 at the latest.

France Alone in Rejecting Three-Month Extension: Brexit Update
A demonstrator hold a placard reading ‘Keep Europe Together’ during a People’s Vote march in London, U.K. (Photographer: Luke MacGregor/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) --

France was the only country which didn’t support granting a Brexit extension until the end of January at a meeting of European Union ambassadors, two diplomats said, pushing instead for a one-month delay to Nov. 30 at the latest. The bloc put off a decision until after British politicians vote Monday on Boris Johnson’s proposal for an early general election.

In a pooled interview, Johnson contradicted comments by Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid that the U.K. will not meet the prime minister’s “do or die” pledge to leave the EU on Oct. 31. The premier said the U.K. could and should leave by the current deadline.

Key Developments:

  • EU agrees in principle to extension but aims to make decision on length by Tuesday. France is alone in rejecting three-month delay
  • Johnson proposes Dec. 12 for general election, but needs two-thirds majority in Parliament for it to take place; vote scheduled for Monday in the House of Commons
  • Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says threat of no-deal Brexit must be removed before he’ll back a snap poll
  • Pound falls 0.2%

Election Vote Going Ahead, Official Says (1:15 p.m.)

Boris Johnson plans to press ahead with a vote on an election on Monday regardless of whether the EU has replied to his request for a delay -- and even if Labour says it will oppose the motion, a senior government official said.

The government wouldn’t bring back its Brexit legislation if it loses the vote, even if Parliament agreed to a strict timetable to debate it, the official said. That’s because of the risk that Members of Parliament will either seek to delay its progress further or attach amendments meaning the government has to reopen negotiations with Brussels, the person said.

Johnson: Corbyn, EU, Parliament Key to Next Steps (1 p.m.)

In a pooled interview to broadcasters, Boris Johnson doubled down on his remarks from Thursday: he’ll only give members of Parliament more time to debate his Brexit legislation if they agree to an election on Dec. 12. Johnson also said his government would continue to push its domestic agenda.

“What we don’t do is engage in pointless Brexitology in Parliament, when Parliament is simply committed to delay” the U.K.’s departure from the European Union, Johnson said.

The premier also called on opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to “man up” and face the electorate. He said it’s still possible for the U.K. to leave the European Union on schedule on Oct. 31, contradicting remarks earlier by Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid. But Johnson said it’s up to the EU.

France Stands Alone Over Extension (12:30 p.m.)

France was the only country which didn’t support granting a Brexit extension to the end of January at Friday’s meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels, according to two diplomats familiar with the discussions. France wanted the bloc to grant an initial extension to Nov. 30 at the latest, they said.

France’s position is that granting an extension that is too long would take the pressure off British politicians to ratify the divorce agreement, one of the diplomats said. An EU summit to discuss the length of extension may become unavoidable if France continues to oppose an extension to the end of January, the second diplomat said.

Earlier, the EU said it wanted a decision made without a summit. A spokesman for the French government in Brussels didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

EU Non-Decision Meant to Put Onus on MPs (12:15 p.m.)

By deferring its decision to delay Brexit, the European Union is still holding out hope that it can pressure U.K. Members of Parliament to back the divorce deal in the next week or so. That, along with the contradictory impulse of not wanting to be seen interfering in British politics, means diplomats have given themselves to Tuesday to reach a conclusion.

They know that by then, Parliament will have held a vote on whether to hold an election and the picture about what happens next might be clearer. The EU doesn’t want to convene a summit to sort this out, though it hasn’t completely ruled this out. It also hasn’t definitely decided to give the three-month extension beyond Oct. 31 -- though that’s by far the most likely outcome.

France Alone in Rejecting Three-Month Extension: Brexit Update

Much of this comes down to Emmanuel Macron. Far more than any other EU leader, the French President wants to help Johnson get this deal through as soon as possible, and thinks the way to do this is to keep Parliament guessing for as long as possible about how the bloc is going to behave.

Johnson to Pursue Domestic Agenda With ‘Vigor’ (12 p.m.)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman contradicted reports the government’s sole focus will now be on pushing for a general election, suspending all other work. While the government will halt its Brexit legislation, work on its domestic agenda will continue, James Slack said.

“He will continue to do all that he can to break the Brexit deadlock, because the country wants Brexit to be resolved,” Slack told reporters in London on Friday. “At the same time, the prime minister has a dynamic and ambitious domestic agenda, and he will continue pursuing that with full vigor.”

EU Wants Flexible Extension: Diplomat (11:45 a.m.)

The prevailing view among the remaining 27 European Union member states points to a flexible Brexit extension until the end of January, an EU diplomat said in a text message to reporters following the meeting. That means the U.K. could leave the bloc earlier if Prime Minister Boris Johnson can persuade Parliament to ratify his divorce deal.

Corbyn: No Election Until No-Deal Split Ruled Out (11:30 a.m.)

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said he won’t allow a general election until Prime Minister Boris Johnson personally rules out a no-deal exit -- even if the European Union does grant the three-month extension that the U.K. has requested.

“We’ve got to get no deal taken off the table first because it would be catastrophic for jobs and businesses in Britain; it would be very damaging in Northern Ireland,” Corbyn told ITV in an interview.

He said Labour would vote for the election if an extension is granted, “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,” Corbyn said. “Because his deal includes the possibility of a no-deal exit.”

EU Is Not Planning Summit for Extension Decision (11:20 a.m.)

Mina Andreeva, chief spokeswoman for the EU Commission, told reporters in Brussels the European Union wants to agree to a Brexit extension in writing rather than calling a summit.

“What I can tell you is that the EU27 have agreed to the principle of an extension and work will now continue in the coming days,” she said. “The intention is to take this decision by written procedure.”

EU Defers Decision on Length of Extension (11:15 a.m.)

European Union government envoys in Brussels deferred a decision on the length of a Brexit extension, according to diplomats familiar with a meeting in Brussels on Friday.

While all 27 member states reiterated that an extension should be granted, the bloc wants to wait for more clarity from the U.K before making a call, one of the diplomats said. The ambassadors in Brussels plan to take a decision by Tuesday, the person said, asking not to be named discussing a private meeting.

Delay Must Be in Place Before Election: Gyimah (9:45 a.m.)

Boris Johnson’s bid for a snap election -- just a week after he agreed a Brexit deal with the European Union -- is a stunt “to distract from the fact that he failed to deliver Brexit on Oct. 31 do-or-die,’’ former Conservative Member of Parliament Sam Gyimah told Bloomberg TV.

Gyimah, who now sits as a Liberal Democrat, said any extension offered by the EU will need to be “fully implemented’’ before his party will consider backing a general election. Trust in Johnson is so low that it would be unacceptable to risk the premier crashing the U.K. out of the bloc without a deal, Gyimah said.

Johnson’s demand that Parliament should back a Dec. 12 election and pass his “lousy deal’’ with the EU before it is dissolved for the election is “bizarre’’ and intended to avoid scrutiny, Gyimah said.

“If accepting an election also means we’re accepting a ridiculous timetable, in which he holds a gun to Parliament’s head to get the deal through, that would be unacceptable,’’ he said. “There is no trust between Parliament and the Johnson government.’’

Labour MPs Split Over Pre-Brexit Election (8:50 a.m.)

Labour backbencher Peter Kyle said he won’t back an election because going to the polls with Brexit unresolved would poison the vote.

“I would absolutely not vote for a general election until this stage of Brexit is resolved,” Kyle told BBC radio. He said the “overwhelming majority” of his Labour colleagues are of the same opinion, and that if they accede to Johnson’s demand, “he can pull the legislation at any point if he doesn’t get what he wants, and then we’ll go into an election with no legislation, facing no deal again.”

Illustrating the split in Labour, Brexit-backer Kate Hoey said it’s time for an election as the Conservatives are unable to govern. But she agreed with Kyle’s verdict that “there may well be” a majority in Labour opposed because MPs representing Leave-supporting districts don’t want to face electorates who think the party has been thwarting Brexit.

“It is that ridiculous expression of turkeys voting for Christmas,” she said. “That is coming into it.”

Javid: Govt Can’t Rule Out No-Deal Exit (8:35 a.m.)

Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid told BBC radio the government can’t rule out a no-deal Brexit -- suggesting opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn won’t be given the reassurance he needs to vote for a general election on Monday.

Technically, Javid is right. As things stand, without a deal agreed by Parliament, the U.K. is set to crash out of the bloc on Oct. 31 -- unless the EU agrees to its request for an extension.

France Alone in Rejecting Three-Month Extension: Brexit Update

Javid Ditches Oct. 31 Brexit Deadline (8:15 a.m.)

Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid said Parliament’s demand for an extension made it impossible for the government to deliver Brexit by the current Oct. 31 deadline.

“We have to accept we won’t be able to leave on Oct. 31,” Javid told the BBC, adding that the government had done “everything possible” to do so.

Javid also warned that if Members of Parliament defy Boris Johnson’s demand for an early election, the government would simply keep trying.

“If they don’t then we will keep bringing back to Parliament a motion to have an election,” he said. “And we will keep doing that again and again.”

Javid also confirmed the government’s budget statement scheduled for Nov. 6 has been canceled.

Labour Says It’s Ready But Won’t Accept Election (Earlier)

The main opposition Labour Party is ready for a general election but won’t yet vote for one, its home affairs spokeswoman Diane Abbott told BBC radio on Friday. She said Labour has both the money and the will for the campaign.

Leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Thursday that his decision on backing Boris Johnson’s bid for a snap poll depends on the length of a Brexit extension granted by the European Union -- and on the prime minister taking a no-deal departure off the table. On Friday, Abbott went further, suggesting a law may need to be passed to rule it out.

“We would want to be absolutely certain of that because we’ve said for some time that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be catastrophic,” Abbott said. “We’d want to have an explicit commitment that no deal is off the table and that might mean further legislation in Parliament.”

Earlier:

--With assistance from Anna Edwards, Thomas Penny, Mark Williams, Tiago Ramos Alfaro, Jonathan Stearns, Nikos Chrysoloras and Jessica Shankleman.

To contact the reporters on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net;Ian Wishart in Brussels at iwishart@bloomberg.net;Alexander Weber in Brussels at aweber45@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Thomas Penny

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