European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has ruled out giving the UK any further delay to Brexit.
As he arrived at the EU summit after meeting with the PM, Mr Juncker was asked if he believed the deal would be approved by Parliament.
“I hope it will, I’m convinced it will. It has to,” he replied.
“Anyway there will be no prolongation.
“We have concluded a deal and so there is not an argument for further delay – it has to be done now.”
Mr Juncker added: “We have a deal. The British PM has to make sure that the deal will pass the hurdles of Westminster.
“I will have to make sure it can pass the hurdles of the European Parliament, that’s all.”
Asked if he would rule out a Brexit extension if Mr Johnson asked him to, Mr Juncker told reporters: “I gave a brief doorstep with Boris Johnson… and I was ruling out that there would be any kind of prolongation.
“If we have a deal, we have a deal and there is no need for prolongation.
“That is not only the British view, that is my view too.”
Responding to Mr Juncker’s comments on allowing an extension, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage tweeted: “So an unelected, retiring bureaucrat says: No extension, take this new treaty or just leave.
“He is overriding the Benn Act. The EU shows itself to be a thuggocracy – power without accountability. Appalling people.”
So an unelected, retiring bureaucrat says: No extension, take this new treaty or just leave.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) October 17, 2019
He is overriding the Benn Act. The EU shows itself to be a thuggocracy - power without accountability.
Appalling people.
Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: “Don’t be fooled by misleading reports. It is not within Jean-Claude Juncker’s powers to rule out an extension if we vote down Boris Johnson’s deal on Saturday. It’s up to the Council of EU27 leaders who will grant an extension.”
- The revised protocol on Northern Ireland contains four key elements, two of which are on regulations and customs:
The other key elements of the Northern Ireland protocol are on VAT and consent: