The EU has agreed to a plan to delay Brexit until 22 May 2019, if MPs approve the withdrawal agreement approved next week.
If Ministers do not back the deal then the EU will agree to a shorter delay until April 12.
European Council President Donald Tusk said at a conference on Thursday that all Brexit options were still open for Britain until April 12.
“Until that date (April 12), all options will remain open and the cliff-edge date will be delayed. The UK government will still have a choice between a deal, no deal, a long extension or revoking Article 50,” Tusk said.
He added, “the 12th of April is a key date in terms of the UK deciding whether to hold European Parliament elections. If it has not decided to do so by then, the option of long extension will automatically become impossible.”
EU Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, told the press conference the atmosphere had been “much better” than Ihehad expected among EU leaders and that he was now “much more realistic”.
After twice failing to get parliamentary backing for her EU divorce deal, embattled UK PM May had asked the EU to move the UK’s departure date back three months to June 30.