Merkel said Brexit delay will be 'easy' if UK has 'credible reason' - report

German leader Angela Merkel said on Wednesday was reported to be relaxed about Britain's ability to secure a Brexit delay from European Union.

After Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal was shot down in parliament overnight, MPs face a vote on Wednesday to choose to scrap the possibility of a hard Brexit in March and if they do so, they will have a vote on Thursday to opt for an extension to Article 50.

Merkel told May recently that it would be "very easy" to secure a delay until June, senior dipomatic sources told The Guardian, although attitudes from the bloc towards the UK have hardened recently especially given the lack of a clear and concise plan for the extension.

During a recent EU-Arab summit, Merkel was said to have assured that Berlin will not stand in the way of the UK if it requests for a delay but warned May of the same risk of a no-deal Brexit in June if it does not reach an agreement with the bloc and within the British parliament.

The 27 EU leaders are worried that Britain is just postponing the inevitable and officials in Brussels warned that they could still react in unexpected ways and refuse to grant the extension.

President of the European Council Donald Tusk warned May after her defeat on Tuesday that she would need a credible reason to delay Brexit.

“Should there be a UK reasoned request for an extension, the EU27 will consider it and decide by unanimity,” a spokesman for Tusk said. “The EU27 will expect a credible justification for a possible extension and its duration. The smooth functioning of the EU institutions will need to be ensured.”

A spokesman for the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker backed Tusk’s statement.