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EU's Tusk Wants to Offer Britain Another Year to Sort Out Brexit


European Council President Donald Tusk speaks during a media conference on Brexit at the Europa building in Brussels, March 20, 2019.
European Council President Donald Tusk speaks during a media conference on Brexit at the Europa building in Brussels, March 20, 2019.

European Council President Donald Tusk wants Britain to have until next April to come up with a viable plan for its exit from from the European Union.

EU leaders would have to approve the extension which gives Britain the option of leaving the group earlier if parliament approves an exit deal.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is set to write Tusk a letter Friday formally requesting another extension, until June 30.

Britain was originally due to leave the bloc by March 29, but May got approval from the EU for a short extension to give her government more time to find a solution parliament could support.

While the process dragged on, parliament sought its own path forward, but in a series of votes Monday lawmakers struck down four possible paths forward. The closest that came to passing was a proposal to have Britain withdraw from the EU, but remain in a customs union.

The latest deadline set by the European Union was April 12, but no withdrawal plans have been approved by British lawmakers.

The delays mean Britain is beginning preparations to vote for it's representatives to the European parliament on May 23.

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