May is backed into a Brexit corner

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday said she is considering the European Union’s proposal to extend the Brexit transition period after negotiations failed at a summit in Brussels that began Wednesday. Britain has already agreed to abide by the EU’s trade laws until December 2020 to allow time for new trade deals to develop. Brexit is currently slated for March 2019. May said the United Kingdom is looking into prolonging the transition period by “a matter of months.” The two major sticking points are still how to handle the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland and May’s plan to retain free trade with the EU in goods but not services.

The transition extension angered some pro-Brexit politicians, with U.K. Independence Party leader Gerard Batten calling it a betrayal from May. “This is not due diligence, this is not a commitment to sort things out, this is a play to normalize transition indefinitely until a time when the establishment can call the whole thing off,” he said. The prime minister entered the summit with a more conciliatory approach, noting the final stage of negotiations “will need courage, trust, and leadership on both sides.” But May did not provide any new proposals, leading the EU to call off a Nov. 17 summit to finalize Brexit. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said EU leaders will continue to assess the negotiations and “stand ready to meet if necessary.”