Today’s political headlines includes Tusk rejecting the short extension request, Withdrawal Agreement Bill could be voted on in days, talks between Labour and Government having no resolution and plots to end May’s premiership.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Tusk rejects short extension request Withdrawal Agreement Bill could be voted on in days Talks between Labour and Government over Brexit reach no resolution Local Tories debate telling May to go, while 1922 Committee plots leadership election Tory MPs fail to vote for Article 50 extension IMF warns of no-deal Brexit economic impact 160 MPs make \u00a342m profit on taxpayer-subsidised homes Stanley Johnson says he wants to be Conservative MEP
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0reports\u00a0<\/a>that European Council President Donald Tusk has used a letter to EU leaders ahead of their summit today to reject Theresa May\u2019s request for a short delay to Brexit, with an EU diplomat suggesting that the leaders will instead agree an extension until either the end of this year, or until March 2020. Tusk wrote that the EU\u2019s \u2018experience so far\u2019 and the \u2018deep divisions\u2019 among MPs meant that there was \u2018little reason to believe\u2019 that the deal would be ratified by the end of May\u2019s proposed extension in June. He warned a short extension would lead to more \u2018short extensions and emergency summits\u2019, continuing uncertainty, overshadowing other EU business and risking an \u2018accidental no-deal Brexit\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Daily Mail\u00a0<\/em>claims<\/a>\u00a0that if a deal is reached with Labour, the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to ratify the deal with the EU could be put to MPs within days. One option would allow free votes on issues such as a customs union or a second referendum which, if successful, would then be incorporated. However, this is felt to be a high-risk option as Parliament would have to be prorogued if the bill failed and the Government wanted to try again.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Times<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that talks between Labour and the Government over Brexit \u2018broke down without progress\u2019 yesterday. According to sources, four hours of negotiation showed that the parties were \u2018far away\u2019 from each other, with Labour claiming that ministers had offered no further concessions while the Conservatives suggested that Labour was not negotiating sincerely. Discussions will resume tomorrow, but the paper suggests the lack of progress will not help Theresa May at today\u2019s European Council summit<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>According<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0The Daily Telegraph<\/em>, a number of local Conservative associations are to debate motions calling for Theresa May to be removed as party leader in an attempt to pressure MPs into taking action. The paper adds that members of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs are working on plans for May to step down as leader on May 23 but remain as Prime Minister, allowing a new leader to be in place by July.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that most Conservative MPs either voted against or abstained on a motion to approve Theresa May\u2019s request for a delay to Brexit yesterday, with four cabinet ministers joining those abstaining. Just 31% of the MPs who voted for her proposal were Conservatives, with Brexiteers suggesting that this showed that the party would not back a softer Brexit, such as a customs union with the EU.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Financial Times<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that analysis by the International Monetary Fund shows that the British economy would be hit seven times harder than that of the EU in a no-deal Brexit scenario, and would fall into a recession. The IMF has modelled two no-deal scenarios, with the economic impact being even worse if there is also border disruption.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Daily Mirror\u00a0<\/em>reveals<\/a>\u00a0that 160 MPs have made a \u00a342m profit by selling homes whose mortgage interest was paid for under the old expenses system. Beneficiaries include Michael Gove, Maria Miller and Sir Graham Brady. The former chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, Sir Alistair Graham, has suggested that they ought to \u2018repay any gain\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Stanley Johnson, the father of Boris Johnson and a former MEP, has\u00a0confirmed<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0The Daily Telegraph\u00a0<\/em>that he has put his name forward to stand as a Conservative candidate in the forthcoming European elections, saying there was \u2018a really important job to do. Current MEP David Campbell Bannerman is stepping down as it would be \u2018dishonourable\u2019 to continue.<\/p>\n