LONDON, May 7 -- Prime Minister Theresa May's hopes of people in Britain avoiding having to vote in the European Parliament elections were dashed on Tuesday.
Cabinet Office Minister and May's de facto deputy David Lidington said the EU parliament vote on May 23 will go ahead, even though the MEPs elected will not take their places in Brussels if a Brexit deal is agreed.
May had been hoping that her deal or an alternative withdrawal agreement could be raced through the British Parliament to enable the voting in Britain to be cancelled.
The Daily Telegraph in London reported Tuesday night that May is targeting July 1 her latest target day for when she wants Britain to leave the EU after abandoning a deadline for a Brexit agreement with the main opposition Labour party.
Britain now has until Oct. 31 to reach a deal, but May wants an earlier exit from the bloc.
Talks between May's Conservatives and Labour took place earlier Tuesday, and will resume Wednesday, but so far no joint deal between the two has emerged.
Labour's shadow business secretary Rebecca Long Bailey said Tuesday's talks had been very robust, but nothing had been agreed. She said the government needed to move on its "red lines" in order to reach a compromise Labour could support.
Lidington said the government is redoubling its efforts to ensure a Brexit deal is passed by the British Parliament in time to prevent MEPs taking up their seats in Brussels, the report added.
A Downing Street spokesperson said Tuesday night that the prime minister deeply regrets the UK did not leave as planned in March and recognizes many people felt great frustration that the European elections were going ahead.
"But she hopes Parliament will agree a Brexit plan before MEPs start their session in July," May's spokesperson added.