The EU will only agree to a short delay to Brexit if MPs approve the current withdrawal agreement next week, Theresa May has been told.
While a delay until 30 June "had its merits", he also suggested there were "political and legal" questions about delaying Brexit beyond 23 May - when European elections will be held.
Meanwhile, an emergency debate is under way in Parliament, with Labour pressing for further detail about the PM's intentions and demanding that any delay is long enough to allow MPs to "break the impasse and find a way forward".
At a highly charged Prime Minister's Questions earlier, Mrs May said MPs had "indulged themselves on Europe for too long" and voters "deserved better".
But she added: "As prime minister I could not consider a further delay beyond 30 June."
This was seen by some as an indication that Mrs May would resign rather than seek a further delay.
The Labour [Jeremy Corbyn] leader will travel to Brussels on Thursday to meet the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier. He is also expected to hold talks with several EU 27 leaders.
In her letter to Mr Tusk, the prime minister says she had wanted to hold a Commons vote on her withdrawal agreement this week but had been prevented from doing so by Commons Speaker John Bercow.
But she adds: "It remains my intention to bring the deal back to the House."
1 comment