LONDON 25 Feb (ANA) - Theresa May is facing growing calls to say she would delay Brexit rather than leave the EU if no deal is in place by the end of March.

 

A new plan from some Tory MPs suggests ministers postpone Brexit until 23 May "to conclude negotiations".

 

It is being suggested as an alternative to cross-party proposals which would see MPs take control of the process.

 

But Education Secretary Damian Hinds told the BBC delaying Brexit would only prolong uncertainty for business.

 

The prime minister is holding talks with EU leaders at a summit in Egypt, as she presses for more concessions to her deal.

 

Mrs May announced on Sunday that MPs will get a fresh vote on her deal by 12 March, vowing that leaving as planned 17 days later was "within our grasp".

 

But many MPs had wanted another so-called "meaningful vote" sooner than that, and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn suggested Mrs May was "running down the clock" until a time when MPs were forced "to choose between her bad deal and a disastrous no deal".

 

Mrs May's announcement also provoked disappointment among business leaders, who are clamouring for certainty about what is to come.

 

The prime minister had a "good, friendly" 45-minute meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the EU-League of Arab States summit in Sharm-el-Sheikh.

 

A government official said they discussed Brexit, among other things, and the issue of extending Article 50 came up "fleetingly". But they said Mrs May reiterated that the UK wanted to leave the EU with a deal on the scheduled date of 29 March.

 

Mrs May is due to hold talks with other key European figures later, including European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.

 

There will then be further talks in Brussels on Tuesday on the Northern Ireland backstop - the number one sticking point for many when it comes to the Brexit deal.(ANA)

FA/ANA/25 February 2019--------