Brexit news - LIVE: EU leaders unanimously agree to give UK unconditional ‘flextension’ if it approves withdrawal agreement next week
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Theresa May’s request to extend triggering Article 50 until the end of June was rejected by the EU, which instead offered a shorter time frame.
Ms May has now accepted the offer of a delay until May 22 if her withdrawal deal is approved by Parliament.
If MPs reject it for a third time, the EU says Britain must propose a new plan by April 12.
The result of this would either be a much longer delay or crashing out of the EU without a deal.
Ms May said she will not support a long delay because it would mean Britain participating in elections for the European Parliament.
Here’s how events unfolded:
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Here's Theresa May greeting fellow European leaders in Brussels earlier today:
Journalists in Brussels expecting a joint press conference from Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk to announce their decision on Theresa May’s request for an extension to the Brexit deadline are going to have to wait a bit longer.
Preben Aamann, Mr Tusk’s spokesperson has written on Twitter that the discussions (without Ms May) are to continue over dinner)
The Independent's political correspondent Jon Stone writes from the summit in Brussels:
Brexit was always going to feature at least one late night drafting session. EU leaders finally delivered one on Thursday evening, tearing up a draft proposal for an extension and deciding to write their own version, by committee, over dinner.
Outside the negotiating room, each sign of further delay is greeted with dismay by people with deadlines, or even just hopes of getting some sleep this evening.
Diplomats and officials roam the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels, where the world's press is camped out, briefing their side's version of events. The situation in the room seems to be moving fast, because new versions of events emerge faster than people can keep up.
At one of the hall a large contingent of journalists from China look bored: they are here to cover a planned discussion by EU leaders about Europe-China relations. That was supposed to happen over dinner, but Brexit has taken over, yet again.
↵Work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd has written a letter to her constituents about Hasting Pier. Some are suggesting it might be about something else however.
Oscar-nominated director Tim Burton has predicted that Britain's departure from the European Union will be delayed.
The 60-year-old directed Disney's live action remake of Dumbo, which debuts in cinemas on 29 March, the day the UK is due to exit the European Union.
He said he expected the UK's date of departure to be pushed back.
Asked whether it was a coincidence the film's debut coincided with Brexit, he replied: "We'll see which happens first. I bet the movie comes out before that."
Looks like the press conference with Donald Tusk and Jean Claude Juncker will now take place at 10:15pm UK time or 11:15pm in Europe.
Only four hours late... if it happens.
Theresa May "will not countenance" revoking Article 50 despite a public petition calling for the Brexit deadline to be cancelled passing 1.5 million signatures.
Asked for the prime minister's view on the petition, a No 10 spokeswoman said Ms May worried failing to deliver Brexit would cause "potentially irreparable damage to public trust".
She said: "The Prime Minister has long been clear that failing to deliver on the referendum result would be a failure of our democracy and something she couldn't countenance.
"The Prime Minister has said many times she will not countenance revoking Article 50."
The petition saw the highest rate of sign-ups on record. Almost 1.7 million people have signed the petition at the time of writing following increased activity on the website after Ms May's speech on Wednesday night.
Has Theresa May’s performance last night alienated her from the people she relies on to manage party discipline and deliver the government votes? ITV’s political correspondent reports “the final bond of trust” between Theresa May and chief whip Julian Smith have been severed.
Mr Smith was reportedly openly admitting today in offices around parliament that he found last night's statement in Downing Street "appalling".
British Prime Minister Theresa May failed to reassure European Union leaders on Thursday that she can secure a deal at home next week on an orderly Brexit, diplomats said, prompting frantic talks on how to ease Britain out without a deal.
As seven hours of talks on Brexit ended, European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted that the other 27 leaders had agreed unanimously on their response to Britain's requests.
Grilled for over an hour by the other 27 leaders at a Brussels summit, Ms May insisted she could win parliamentary backing next week for the deal that would ease Britain out on terms she agreed with the EU last year.
But far from reassuring them, many concluded she herself had little faith in overturning two previous heavy defeats by lawmakers in London.
"It did not go well," said one EU official familiar with the talks. "They basically realised that she doesn't really believe it herself. They don't want to be seen to be forcing the Brits out now. But they are looking for ways to end the agony."
Following six hours of talks after May left the room, diplomats said leaders were still wrangling over possibilities.
A draft statement seen by Reuters, but still not final, said if Ms May succeeds against the odds in parliament, Britain would leave not on March 29 but by May 22, a day before the EU starts elections for a new European Parliament. Those two months would give Britain time to pass necessary legislation.
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