France's Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron is reluctant to let negotiations over Britain's divorce from the European Union drag and is raising pressure on London to break an impasse, an Elysee Palace official said on Monday.
At a summit in Austria last week where European leaders tore up British Prime Minister Theresa May's so-called Chequers plan, Macron said he expected Britain to put forward new proposals in October.
"It's a way of raising pressure," the official said. "It’s not necessarily 'take it or leave it', it's really to say there's a lot of work to be done by November, we must do it, and not let this thing drag on."
Britain's opposition Labour Party would keep the option for a second vote on any Brexit deal struck with the European Union on the table but it would prefer a national election to sort out the issue, its finance spokesman said on Monday."We believe general election is the best solution because people can then have a wide-ranging debate and also then choose the team that would then do the negotiations," John McDonnell told Sky News."If we can't get a general election, we've kept the option of People's Vote on the table and that's what we'll go for, but I'd much prefer a general election," he said, adding a second vote would be on the deal itself rather than leaving the EU because the party would respect the outcome of the 2016 referendum. Britain tells EU to engage seriously on Brexit, EU demursFrance sees Brexit deal possible, but must prepare for 'no deal'May says Brexit talks have hit impasse, EU must produce alternative plansBrexit talks stall as EU rejects Chequers plan
UK's Labour to keep second Brexit vote on table, but only on final deal