UK doesn't face choice btw May's Brexit deal or significant delay to it: Barclay

Britain does not face a choice between Prime Minister Theresa May's deal or a significant delay to Brexit, Brexit minister Steve Barclay said on Wednesday, adding reported comments by a senior Brexit negotiator did not reflect government position. Britain's lead Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins has said lawmakers face a choice between May's exit deal or a long extension of the March 29 deadline for leaving the EU, ITV news said, citing a private conversation.

"(I'm not) in a position to comment on conversations when I wasn't there and heard second hand in a noisy bar," Barclay said on BBC radio. When asked if Robbins' comments reflected the government's position, Barclay said: "No, the prime minister has been very clear that we are committed to leaving on the 29th of March... It's not in anyone's interest to have an extension without any clarity."