EU’s Martin ‘the monster’ Selmayr taunts the UK by tweeting there is still time to CANCEL Brexit ‘up until midnight, April 12’ as MPs vote down May’s deal
- Commons vote against Theresa May’s deal could now delay Brexit for years
- EU’s top civil servant jokes that there is still time for the UK to stay in the bloc
Top Eurocrat Martin Selmayr has taunted Leave voters by suggesting Britain still has two weeks to call of Brexit and stay in the EU.
Selmayr, who is Secretary-General of EU Commission and the bloc’s top civil servant, seized on MPs latest rejection of Theresa May’s exit deal to encourage the UK to stay in the union.
Responding to a Twitter post by Remainer lawyer Jo Maugham QC, Selmayr said Britain would have its ‘last chance’ to stay on the EU up to April 12.
EU official Martin Selmayr seized on the Commons vote today to suggest Britain still had time to stay in the EU
Selmayr sent out a series of tweets after the vote, suggesting Britain could still stay in the EU
Mr Maugham posted: ‘We can revoke even if we don’t hold European Parliamentary elections – you can take it from Martin Selmayr.
And Selmayr replied: ‘On 12 April, right before midnight #lastchance’
To ram home his point, Selmayr then tweeted: ’12 April is now the new 29 March #Brexit’
Following the vote in the Commons today, Britain has two options, to leave with no deal at all on April 12, or apply for a lengthy extension from the EU, which some have suggested could be two years.
The EU today summoned leaders to an extraordinary summit, warning that Britain is now ‘likely’ to crash out of the bloc on April 12 without a deal.
‘In view of the rejection of the Withdrawal Agreement by the House of Commons, I have decided to call a European Council on 10 April,’ tweeted Donald Tusk, the head of the European Council.
Theresa May is now likely to return to Brussels and attempt to get an extension to the negotiation. European Council President Donald Tusk today called a meeting of leaders following the vote
The EU will ask Britain what it plans to do with the extension to the negotiation process
Theresa May is expected to draw up an alternative plan for an orderly Brexit before then, and will be asked to present it to her 27 EU colleagues at the emergency summit.
‘We expect the UK to indicate a way forward before then, well in time for the European Council to consider,’ an EU Council source said, adding that May would be invited to ‘the beginning of the meeting’.
Separately, a spokeswoman for the European Commission – the bloc’s executive – increased pressure on London to come up with a plan for an orderly Brexit by warning of an abrupt divorce.
‘A ‘no-deal’ scenario on 12 April is now a likely scenario. The EU has been preparing for this since December 2017 and is now fully prepared for a no-deal scenario at midnight on April 12,’ she said.
‘The EU will remain united. The benefits of the Withdrawal Agreement, including a transition period, will in no circumstances be replicated in a no-deal scenario. Sectoral mini-deals are not an option.’