EU set to grant extension to UK

EU member states are expected this morning to grant an extension of Britain's membership of the EU until January 31 next year.

It is believed that the members states will give Britain the option to formally leave the bloc earlier if the Withdrawal Agreement is ratified before the end of the year.

Following discussions over the weekend, EU 27 ambassadors are expected to approve a draft declaration on extending the Article 50 process.

EU member states have been mulling over Boris Johnson's request for an extension to Article 50 ever since he grudgingly applied for one via an unsigned letter on October 19.

While member states have been waiting for clarity on if or when the UK might provide a clear reason for the extension, such as an election, Boris Johnson has in turn said he would wait to see what the EU said about the extension before pushing for an election.

But with confusion now gripping the process in Westminster as to when an election might take place, and how it would be triggered, the EU appears to have decided that any further delay was pointless.

France appears to have dropped its demand for a short extension.

Instead the EU is expected to grant a three month extension till the end of January, but with the option for the UK to leave earlier if the House of Commons and the European Parliament finally ratify the Withdrawal Agreement.

However, the UK will be obliged to appoint an EU commissioner in the meantime, and there is a stern warning that the extension cannot be used to try to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement.