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Portrait of the week | 11 April 2019

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Theresa May, the Prime Minister, wrote to Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, asking for an extension until 30 June of the period under Article 50 for which the United Kingdom should remain in the European Union. She hoped for parliament to agree to an ‘acceptance of the withdrawal agreement without reopening it’, perhaps through reaching a consensus by means of ‘a small number of clear options on the future relationship that could be put to the House in a series of votes’. She thought her talks with Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Opposition, might reach such a consensus. Not only that, but she hoped that parliament would give its agreement before the elections to the European Parliament, due on 23 May, in which case they would be cancelled. Tusk preferred a one-year extension, or ‘flextension’, to be ended if agreement was reached. Since 30 March, it was found, British passports had been issued without the words ‘European Union’ on the front. Cambridge won the Boat Race with James Cracknell, aged 46, in its crew.

There was fury among Conservative MPs at May’s talks with Corbyn, and rage among party members. May sat in silence when a delegation from the 1922 Committee told her that the mood among party supporters had turned against her. From the Labour side, Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, insisted that Labour must pursue another referendum. There was talk of remaining in a customs union, which Liam Fox, the Trade Secretary, called the ‘worst of both worlds’. Tiger Roll won the Grand National for the second year in a row.

Remarkable scenes were witnessed in parliament. The Bill tabled by Yvette Cooper and Sir Oliver Letwin, to compel May to ask Brussels for an extension to negotiations (which she was doing in any case) passed the Commons by 313 to 312 votes.

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