German minister says Brexit delay possible only on strong grounds

The date of Britain's exit from the European Union can be postponed, but London would first have to make clear what it would need that time for and what the benefit would be, German Justice Minister Katarina Barley said on Wednesday. Barley, one of several British-German dual citizens at the pinnacle of German politics, said London must quickly make proposals on how it wanted to proceed after Tuesday's parliamentary rejection of an agreement designed to ensure an orderly British exit from the bloc. "The clear rejection of the withdrawal agreement by the British House of Commons puts us in a very difficult situation," said Barley, who met reporters wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the 12 golden stars of the European flag.