BREXIT BLOW: UK facing ‘proxy second referendum’ - warning as EU elections to spark CHAOS
PLANS to force Britain to participate in next month's European Parliamentary elections would result in a "proxy second referendum" which would see Brexiteers face of against Remainers for the second time in three years - with both the Tories and Labour terrified of the damage it would do to their parties, a political analyst has said.
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UK Prime Minister Theresa May is today in Brussels for the European Council summit, attended by leaders of the bloc's other 27 member states - and is asking for a further delay to Article 50. However, draft conclusions released yesterday which are likely to be ratified today would require the UK to hold the elections, or face being drummed out on June 1 without a deal in place. Professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economics (LSE) told Express.co.uk voters were likely to use the elections, as well as the local elections on May 2, to make their point about Brexit.
He said: "It's very likely the local elections, and definitely the European elections, will be a proxy second referendum, particularly by people who feel cheated in some way."
Prof Travers suggested the European elections in particular offered an opportunity for The Independent Group, currently in the process of becoming a political party under the name of Change UK – The Independent Group, to test out its pro-European message.
He explained: "I don't think TIG can register as a party fast enough but they can still stand as individuals so it wouldn't surprise me."
Conversely, Prof Travers said both Labour and the Tories would be "terrified" at the prospect of having to field candidates in the Europe-wide poll, pointing out they were beaten into second and third place respectively in the last ones in 2014 by Nigel Farage's UKIP.
He said: "They may even be worried about something even more extraordinary happening."
Prof Travers said a lot of Conservative activists campaigning for the local elections were reporting widespread hostility on the doorstep, especially from Leave-backing voters, but from Remainers too.
He said: "Firstly this is about the mess we're in but secondly it's about how the major parties have handled it."
As a national party, Labour were very keen to avoid doing anything which could see the blame for failing to deliver Brexit being pinned on them, while Mrs May's Conservatives were at risk of a damaging schism, Prof Travers said.
He added: "The party system is now resembling pre-modern politics, that of the early 19th century, with a loose party system of Tories and Whigs coming together around particular big issues."
European Union leaders look certain to grant Prime Minister Theresa May a second delay to Brexit at an emergency summit on Wednesday but will argue over how long and on what terms as they struggle to end Britain’s troublesome membership.
French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing to withhold any commitment to extend Friday’s deadline much beyond elections to the European Parliament on May 23-26 unless May binds herself, and any potentially more anti-EU successor, not to disrupt the workings of Brussels in the final months of Britain’s membership.
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But three weeks after Mr Macron’s impatience with France’s historic cross-Channel rival dominated the last summit, when Brexit was put back by a fortnight, diplomats said he again will face a more cautious line from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said she favours an extension of “several months”.
Just two days before Britain will otherwise leave the bloc with no treaty to clarify legal matters and no transition to new trading arrangements, EU diplomats suggest the April 12 deadline will be pushed back.
Other leaders, too, insist they will not force Britain out against its will and May has asked them to wait until June 30 as she seeks help from her Labour opponents to build an elusive majority in parliament behind her plan for leaving the EU.