Theresa May's withdrawal plan, reached with the EU over more than two years of negotiations, has been rejected by Parliament three times. An earlier British request for a delay until June 30 was rejected last month, amid rising irritation from EU leaders about the political chaos in London. "There are important decisions to be taken after EU elections," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to comment on closed-door meetings preparing for next week's summit. The Europeans would prefer that Britain not take part in the European Parliament elections if it is going to leave. May said in her letter that Britain is reluctantly ready to begin preparations for the European elections if no Brexit deal is reached in the interim.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 06, 2019 00:37 UTC