EU to offer UK two Brexit extension options

The European Council on Thursday agreed to offer the UK two different extension options.

The UK has been seeking an extension on the Article 50 exit process to allow for an orderly exit.

The offer:

• Option 1: If the UK parliament accepts the deal, it can delay exiting until May 22 to ratify the text.
• Option 2: If it does not accept the deal, the EU will offer a shorter delay until April 12.
• If it rejects the deal and takes the shorter extension, it can decide whether to seek another delay and vote in the European elections.

April 12 'the real deadline'

"(The April 12 extension) is the real deadline to say whether they want to stay in the EU — they would have to say why they would like a longer extension," a source in the French presidency told AFP news agency. If they forgo the European elections, "that would mean they have chosen to leave with no deal."