British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on Sunday branded a “spoilt brat” by the Opposition after he sent an unsigned letter seeking a three-month extension to the October 31 deadline from the European Union (EU).
The UK PM was bound by law to issue a letter seeking a delay to Brexit after MPs voted in a historic Super Saturday Parliament session to delay voting on his motion on a new Brexit deal.
Johnson has previously said he would rather be “dead in a ditch” than miss the October 31 deadline and had triggered speculation soon after the House of Commons vote by declaring that he would not negotiate an extension.
However, given the Benn Act passed by MPs last month to avert a no-deal crash-out from the economic bloc meant that he was obliged to send an extension letter by the end of October 19 unless a new Brexit deal had been passed through by the Commons.
"The United Kingdom proposes that this (extension) period should end at 11.00pm GMT on 31 January 2020. If the parties are able to ratify before this date, the government proposes that the period should be terminated early,” reads the unsigned letter sent to European Council President Donald Tusk on Saturday night.
While the Downing Street stance is that the UK PM has complied with the Benn Act by sending the Parliament's letter, there is some speculation if it opens up the prospect of legal action by it being an unsigned request.
