Article 50 extension may be required to prevent no-deal Brexit, MPs warn Theresa May

PM warned by MPs on the Exiting the European Union committee: ‘Time is not on our side’

An extension of Article 50 may be required to prevent the UK crashing out of the EU with no deal, according to a group of MPs who on Thursday warned Theresa May that “time is not on our side”.

In a fresh report, MPs on the Exiting the European Union Committee claim that “even under the most optimistic outcome” of a withdrawal agreement being reached by the early autumn, five months may not be enough time for “necessary proceedings”.

In what they anticipate will be “one of the most significant parliamentary debates in a generation”, the MPs also urge the government to allocate at least five days in the Commons chamber for debating the withdrawal agreement.

“It would be unconscionable if the House of Commons was not provided with the opportunity both for the fullest debate and to enable a clear expression of its opinion,” the report states.

They warn that the government may have to request a “limited extension” of Article 50 to prevent the UK leaving the EU in March 2019 without an agreement, in the event of parliamentary consent on either side of the negotiations being delayed.

Brexit secretary David Davis has, however, previously said it “may well prove to be impossible” to seek an extension to Article 50 because it would mean achieving a unanimous agreement from the EU27.

The publication of the report also coincides with the European Council meeting in Brussels, with Brexit not expected to feature high on the agenda.

Leo Varadkar, the Irish taoiseach, warned the prime minister ahead of the summit that Britain is running out of time to seal a withdrawal agreement with the EU by October.

“I expect EU leaders to send a strong message to the UK that negotiations with the [Brexit] taskforce need to intensify,” he said. “The lack of progress in the negotiations on the withdrawal agreement has been very disappointing.”

Echoing Mr Varadkar’s frustration at the state of the negotiations, Hilary Benn, the senior Labour MP who chairs the Commons committee, said: “It is now more than two years since the referendum and the government has yet to agree on the customs arrangements it wants with our biggest, nearest and most important trading partner.”

Mr Benn continued: “We are told that most of the work on the withdrawal agreement is done, but the remaining issues represent some of the toughest questions the prime minister must grasp, and negotiations on the future partnership have yet to start in earnest.

“Time is not on our side. The Bank of England is now adding to calls from business and unions for ‘pace and urgency’ in the Brexit negotiations, saying ‘material risks’ remain. This follows public warnings about the implications of a hard Brexit from firms such as Airbus and BMW.

“While the cabinet continues to run down the clock as it tries to agree on a plan, it would be unconscionable if the House of Commons was not provided with the time and opportunity both for the fullest debate and to enable a clear expression of its opinion on the most significant decision our country has faced in a generation.”

The report – approved by 12 to three votes against – also said the committee does not accept the UK would exit the bloc without a deal even if the Commons votes against the final deal.

Instead, they call on the government to provide a second parliamentary vote after the government resubmits a motion for approval following any renegotiation with Brussels requested by MPs.