Theresa May vows not to delay Brexit after exit date climbdown
The PM insists she is "not talking about extensions" after confirming she will accept powers to move the planned departure date.
Wednesday 20 December 2017 16:31, UK
The Prime Minister has assured Brexit-backing MPs she will only extend Britain's EU membership in "exceptional circumstances" and "for the shortest possible time".
Theresa May faced queries from Conservative backbenchers as she confirmed the Government has accepted an amendment to key Brexit legislation allowing flexibility to move the planned EU exit date of 29 March, 2019.
Ministers have acted to stave off another House of Commons defeat on the EU Withdrawal Bill, after a number of Tory MPs expressed concerns about the Prime Minister's plan to write the Brexit date into the legislation.
The proposal, introduced by the Government via a different amendment to the bill, will remain.
But the added amendment, which will now be backed by ministers, will once again allow Mrs May to move the official Brexit date.
Confirming her climbdown at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mrs May said: "We are very clear that we will be leaving the EU on 29, March 2019 at 11pm.
"The bill that is going through does not determine that the UK leaves the EU; that is part of the Article 50 process and a matter of international law.
"It is important that we have the same position legally as the EU, which is why we have accepted the amendment."
The Prime Minister added the Government "would use that power only in exceptional circumstances for the shortest possible time" and through a motion presented to Parliament.
Mrs May was tackled over ministers' use of the amendment's powers by Tory MP Julian Lewis.
Later, the Prime Minister told fellow Conservative John Baron she was "not talking about extensions" to the UK's EU membership, after he asked whether the power to move the Brexit date "will be used only for a matter of weeks, or for a couple of months at most".
The Government's concession on the Brexit date should see them avoid a second defeat on the EU Withdrawal Bill, after they lost a vote on MPs' demand for a "meaningful" say on the final Brexit deal last week.
Mrs May spoke after EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier outlined the bloc's wish for a UK transition period to end before 2021.
Under the terms of Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, the legal mechanism for EU departure, a leaving member state can extend their stay with unanimous agreement from remaining member states.