The Latest: France says UK can still cancel Brexit

LONDON (AP) — The Latest on Brexit (all times local):

8:40 a.m.

The French minister for European Affairs says she does not know when Brexit will happen, and insists Britain can still backpedal on its decision to leave the bloc.

Speaking on France Info radio, Amelie de Montchalin said it’s still possible for Britain to revoke Article 50, meaning the U.K. would remain in the EU and cancel Brexit.

Montchalin said “the prime minister can pick up his phone and call Brussels to say: “I stop everything.”

Montchalin added, however, that she believes it’s important to respect the “British people’s sovereign desire” expressed in the 2016 referendum on leaving the EU.

She spoke as ambassadors for the EU27 meet in Brussels on Monday to decide on a new Brexit delay. She said ambassadors will discuss the possibility of granting another extension to Jan. 31, 2020.

France was initially reluctant to extend the Brexit deadline beyond its scheduled date of Oct. 31, but Montchalin said the perspective of a new general election in Britain justifies a new delay.

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7:55 a.m.

European Union diplomats are meeting to decide whether to delay Britain’s departure from the bloc, due in just three days.

British politicians, meanwhile, are wrangling over what to do with the extra time.

Ambassadors from the 27 other EU countries are meeting Monday to discuss Britain’s request for a three-month postponement to the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline. The bloc has agreed in principle, but has not fixed the extension’s length.

In London, British politicians are set to vote on whether to hold an early election to try to break the country’s deadlock over Brexit. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants a Dec. 12 election, but looks unlikely to get the required support from two-thirds of lawmakers.

Two opposition parties plan to push for a Dec. 9 election if Johnson’s proposal fails.

source: yahoo.com