A clearly frustrated European Union has given Britain some room to find a way out of its Brexit quagmire by agreeing to an extension to the country's departure until Halloween.
Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to brief Parliament on Thursday on the results of the emergency EU summit but her path toward actually taking Britain out of the EU remains unclear.
The President of the European Council confirming the agreement to extending the period under Article 50 (3) of the Treaty on European Union. Source: AP
May's own authority has been gravely compromised by the long Brexit ordeal and she has promised to step down once Britain leaves the bloc - if efforts to get rid of her more quickly do not bear fruit.
Faced with so much uncertainty, EU leaders agreed on a new October 31 cut-off date.
If no extension had been granted, Britain faced the prospect of crashing out of the EU this Friday with no deal, a scenario that many in Parliament worried would lead to a deep recession.
"Please, do not waste this time," European Council President Donald Tusk pleaded. He said the EU was giving Britain six more months "to find the best possible solution" to its Brexit impasse.
Some European leaders favoured a longer extension, while French President Emmanuel Macron was wary of anything but a very short delay.
Tusk said that during the extension Britain "will continue its sincere cooperation as a full member state, with all its rights, and as a close friend and trusted ally in the future."
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