EU hopes for House of Commons majority after all party talks on Brexit

The European Union hopes cross-party talks in the United Kingdom will yield a majority in the House of Commons for the stalled Brexit deal and is willing to grant more time to achieve that, the bloc's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said.

On the eve of an EU summit of national leaders due to decide on whether to grant Britain another Brexit delay, Barnier also said the length of any second postponement beyond the current date of April 12 would depend on the rationale presented by Prime Minister Theresa May. "The duration of an extension - it has got to be in line with the purpose of any such extension," Barnier told a news conference on Tuesday.