in the last few minutes we've heard from
European Union President Donald Tusk
that the EU will agree to a so-called
flex tension until January the 31st as
usual we need the advice of our
assistant political editor Norman Smith
at Westminster to understand what this
means
Norman explain this little extension to
us well what it means first off is that
Boris Johnson's do-or-die pledge to
leave by October the 31st is no more it
is dead it is over it is finished it is
not going to happen that is off the
table so that is the first domestic
political consequence of the EU decision
and what they've done is agree to the
extension which mr. Johnson set out in
that letter which he said was from
Parliament but which he was forced and
obliged to write as Prime Minister
seeking a delay to brexit until January
the 31st now the EU have incorporated
into that what's called a flex tension
in other words different break points
when the EU could leave on November the
31st December the 31st or January the
31st if we get a deal ahead of then to
be honest I think there was always a
calculation that that would be allowed
anyway without the EU formally setting
out those bench park moments but it does
now mean that too many no deal would
have been taken off the table at least
until January the 31st which will
increase the arguments in the Commons
that with no deal parked at least until
January the 31st Parliament now has to
make a decision on an election and that
is what Boris Johnson will be trying to
argue today and over the immediate days
ahead as he tries to secure this general
election ahead of Christmas and as he
tries obviously to control the narrative
because coming back to the first point
you were made I mean he did say was
going to do or die in ditch and there
were all these dire warnings from from
the harbour exit ears about what awful
chaos would ensue if we didn't get out
of the EU by the 31st of October and so
on I mean how are they all going to kind
of back out of that I suspect you'll
hear from them is what we
already heard which is Boris Johnson did
his best but was thoughted by Parliament
the question is how do voters read that
do they think well this is a man who
said he was going to do this
and hasn't done it in other words
whether he is punished particularly I
suspect by the brexit party he will say
well that you can't trust Boris Johnson
just like Theresa May who promised will
be out on March 31st he promised will be
out on October the 31st and just like
Theresa May he hasn't got his deal and
he hasn't got us out the other
possibility is that voters are more
sympathetic towards Boris Johnson
because he has as we know tried all
sorts of mechanisms to force Parliament
to make a decision ahead of 30 person
maybe they take a more charitable view
that he's done his best but it is a risk
and the risk of calling a general
election if he manages to call one
without brexit being resolved is he is
punished for not resolving brexit so in
a way yes you know it buys more time but
it also creates an element of
uncertainty for Boris Johnson because he
now campaigns for a general election in
the knowledge that he has failed in his
signature policy when he stood for the
Tory leadership no one much more from
you later for now thanks so much