Prime Minister Theresa May admits Brexit will miss March 29 deadline
Published: 21:32, 20 March 2019
Updated: 21:38, 20 March 2019
The Prime Minister says she is determined to press on to get her Brexit deal through Parliament but has conceded she will miss the deadline of March 29.
In an uncompromising statement from Downing Street, she criticised MPs for holding up the deal and for failing to say what they did want.
Her address from Downing Street was notable for its robust tone and its unconcealed anger of MPs who she said were frustrating progress.
She rebuked them for navel-gazing debates in the Commons and acknowledged the public was tiring of the endless discussions.
Directing her statement at the public, she said: "Of this, I am absolutely sure. You the public have had enough.
"You are tired of the infighting, you're tired of the political games and the arcane procedural rows, tired of MPs talking about nothing else but Brexit when you have real concerns about our children's schools, our National Health Service, knife crime.
"You want this stage of the Brexit process to be over and done with. I agree. I am on your side. It is now time for MPs to decide."
She said it was a matter of great personal regret that she had been unable to meet deadline for Brexit.
It comes as protesters threatened to block the M25 and other major routes if the government delayed Brexit.
Mrs May's statement, ahead of a summit in Brussels, aimed at reaching an agreement over the government’s request for a delay until the end of June.
The EU has already indicated that it could grant an extension but would only do so if MPs had supported the deal.
There was a small bit of good news for Theresa May earlier today when the Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Gordon said he would be backing the deal on offer having twice voted against it.
He said that he had reservations but was concerned that this could be the only chance to secure Brexit.
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