Both the Scottish and Welsh First Ministers have signed a letter to the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, asking him to support a Brexit extension to allow scrutiny and time for a second referendum. It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to sent a letter to the European Union asking for an extension after the votes in the House of Commons on Saturday. Writing a letter to Mr Tusk on Monday, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister, Labour’s Mark Drakeford, asked the European Council President to grant a delay.
The pair signed a letter with requested an extension “so there is no risk of a UK exit before a Withdrawal Agreement has been ratified by both the EU and UK”.
The letter read: “Our joint view is that the ultimate result of the Westminster Parliamentary process should be a referendum on EU membership.
“But in any event it is also essential to ensure that there is sufficient time for proper scrutiny of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill.”
It comes as the Government is expected to bring a vote in the House of Commons on the Prime Minister’s Brexit agreement, if Speaker John Bercow allows it.
The Government has proposed a debate on the deal, according to the House of Commons order paper which says the speaker will make a statement on the proceedings shortly after parliament opens this afternoon.
After the vote on Saturday, Mr Johnson was forced to send a letter to the EU requesting an extension to Brexit. Mr Johnson stressed to Brussels in a second letter he was only sending it at Parliament’s bidding. He got a senior diplomat to send an unsigned photocopy of the Parliament’s asking for an extension.
In a second note to European Council president Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister said the delay requested would be “deeply corrosive”. A third letter added Mr Johnson did not want an extension.
On Sunday evening, diplomatic sources quoted by The Times newspaper, hinted the EU could be willing to delay Brexit until February 2020, if the Prime Minister cannot get his deal through the Commons this week.
Reports claimed a deal would be “fungible”, so if the Prime Minister’s deal passes earlier – the UK could be able to leave the EU before the extension ends.
EU diplomats and officials told Reuters on Sunday that, depending on the next developments in London, extension options range from just an additional month until the end of November to half-a-year or longer.
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