Brexit deadline could be extended again - UK lawmaker

With the European Union appearing lukewarm toward U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s latest Brexit proposal, the deadline for Britain to leave the bloc could once again be pushed back, according to a British lawmaker.

The U.K. currently has until Oct. 31 to leave the EU. Britain’s departure has been pushed back multiple times from the original March 29 deadline, after British members of parliament thrice rejected former Prime Minister Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement.

If the EU doesn’t agree to Johnson’s proposal, it would have to once again delay the U.K.’s departure to avoid a no-deal Brexit, said Jitesh Gadhia, a member of the House of Lords, the upper chamber of the British parliament.

“If you think about it from the EU perspective and if you look at their choices: Do you seal a deal with Prime Minister Johnson now or do you actually roll the dice on an extension and election hoping that you might have a more favorable counterparty?” Gadhia told CNBC.

He said even though “the omens aren’t great” on getting the EU to agree to Johnson’s deal, the bloc still appeared to be open to further negotiations.