May Meets Merkel As Cross Party Talks Continue In Westminster

9 April 2019, 12:26 | Updated: 9 April 2019, 12:43

The Prime Minister is meeting the leaders of Germany and France a day before crunch talks over an extension to the Brexit process.

The European Union’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said that he hopes talks between the Conservatives and Labour help the Prime Minister’s stalled Brexit deal pass through Parliament.

Theresa May met with Angela Merkel on Tuesday morning, before travelling to meet the French President in Paris.

Mrs May was seeking support for extending Article 50 and changing the date the UK leaves the EU, before talks between all EU leaders tomorrow.

If an extension is not agreed, the UK will leave the EU with no deal on Friday the 12th of April.

The Prime Minister wants to push back the exit date until June 30th, but EU officials have hinted they may offer a flexible extension of up to a year.

Andrea Leadsom has said that it would be "fantastic" if the German Chancellor agrees to try to support a “proper UK Brexit,” and agrees to reopen the withdrawal agreement. An action the EU has said will not happen.

Michel Barnier spoke in a press conference on Tuesday morning saying cross-party discussions were a “a new element in this very, very serious and complex context we're operating in."

Bariner also said that the EU wanted a timeline or a roadmap from the Prime Minister before they could make a decision as to what would happen next.

Simon Coveney, Ireland’s Foreign Minister says EU leaders want "as much clarity as possible" from the Theresa May tomorrow, when the European Union leaders meet and make a decision on a Brexit extension.

In Westminster cross party discussions to try to reach an agreement on Brexit continue.