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BREXIT LATEST: Labour closer to backing new Brexit referendum as senior figures pile pressure on Corbyn

A trio of shadow cabinet members piled pressure on Jeremy Corbyn by saying the party must stick by its pledge to “campaign for a public vote” if the prime minister holds firm and Labour fails to force a general election.

Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, said backing for a Final Say referendum was the only “remaining option” if Labour’s own withdrawal plan is defeated, adding: “That is a very important commitment. And it is one we will keep.”

Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, echoed the view, saying: “If she refuses a general election and to change her deal, then of course our policy is that we will go for a people’s vote.”

And Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, speaking at the same conference, told a questioner urging quicker support for a referendum: “I am tempted to go there with you.”

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Theresa May, struggling to find a plan B, may delay Brexit until July – her toxic option

Theresa May’s plans to forge a Brexit Plan B that she can take to the Commons on Monday were dealt a serious blow after one of her closest European allies warned the existing deal could not be “tweaked”. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte cast serious doubts over whether Mrs May would be able to change the existing withdrawal agreement to present it to MPs next week. Mrs May will spend the weekend trying to patch together a fresh deal to present to MPs on Monday. Such is her difficulty in finding a compromise that satisfies enough MPs to get a deal through Parliament, that Government sources have suggested she could announce an extension to Article 50 at least until July. Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/news/brexit/theresa-may-struggling-to-find-a-plan-b-may-delay-brexit-until-july-her-toxic-option/

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BREXIT HAS HEADACHES! From triggering to extending Article 50, there’s a scarcity of good news & options for the embattled May

It’s thought the EU would only be willing to grant a longer extension beyond July if it were for the sake of making time for a general election or a second referendum – rather than simply letting discussions carry on or as a time-buying exercise. In the scenario of a general election or referendum, the UK would have to write to the EU requesting an Article 50 extension, all member states would have to agree, and then the UK government would need to pass legislation to change the EU Withdrawal Act, in which the 29 March date is enshrined in law.

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Downing Street prepares Brexit referendum document claiming it would take longer than a year to organise

Downing Street drew up a paper setting out the potential timescale for a Final Say referendum on Brexit. The document’s existence emerged after Theresa May used it in meetings with political rivals as she seeks a consensus on how to push ahead with Brexit. Officials later said that the document had dealt only with its potential scheduling to demonstrate the belief at the top of government that a People’s Vote could take more than a year to organise.