Today three of the most prominent remain campaigners in the UK, the former Labour prime minister Tony Blair, the former Conservative deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine and the former Lib Dem deputy prime minister Nick Clegg have urged EU leaders to delay Brexit to allow Britons to vote again in a second referendum. They have made their appeal in a joint article published in several European papers, including Die Welt, which has an English translation here. Here is an excerpt.
Our domestic debate is far from over and, even at this late hour, many of us are continuing to make the case that the British public need to make the final decision once we are in possession of all the relevant facts. So we ask our European partners to be ready to give us the space and time, if necessary, to make such a final decision. Until then, we of course respect their right to act on, and prepare for, the decision of the UK to leave until or unless that changes.
If the EU were to agree to extend article 50, Brexit could be delayed. But the Blair/Heseltine/Clegg plan is a bit of a long shot, to put it mildly. The EU would only extend article 50 if the UK government requested that, and Theresa May and her party are fully committed to taking the UK out of the EU at 11pm on 29 March next year.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.15am: Three permanent secretaries give evidence to the Commons Brexit committee about no deal planning.
9.30am: Inflation figures are published.
11.15am: Michael Gove, the environment secretary, gives evidence to a Lords committee about planning for a no deal Brexit.
12pm: Theresa May faces Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs.
After 1pm: MPs begin a debate on a Labour motion which, if passed, would force the government to publish analysis into the impact of universal credit on claimants’ incomes. There will be a vote at around 4pm.
3.30pm: Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, gives evidence to the Commons defence committee.
4.30pm: EU leaders start arriving for their summit in Brussels.
5.15pm: May is due to address EU leaders ahead of the dinner where the EU27 will discuss what to do next in the Brexit talks.