European Union leaders have agreed to grant British Prime Minister Theresa May a new Brexit deadline of October 31, diplomats told Reuters.

The decision followed opposition from French President Emmanuel Macron to giving Mrs May another year.

Summit chair Donald Tusk tweeted that an extension had been agreed but gave no details as he went to brief Mrs May on the outcome and seek her necessary agreement to the deal.

The late-night deal means Britain will not crash out of the bloc on Friday and gives Mrs May more than the three months she had asked for to build a parliamentary majority behind the withdrawal treaty she negotiated with the EU last year.

But Mr Macron’s push for a June Brexit and strong opposition to other leaders’ preference for a much longer extension that might increase the chances of Britain changing its mind to stay in the bloc meant the meeting ended up with the October compromise.

October 31 would correspond to the end of the five-year mandate of the present EU executive Commission.

EU27/UK have agreed a flexible extension until 31 October. This means additional six months for the UK to find the best possible solution.

— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) April 10, 2019

Leaders would meet again in June, EU diplomats said, to assess the situation. Britain could have left by then if May succeeds in building a coalition for her deal with the Labour opposition – though there is no sign of agreement yet.

In order to continue as an EU member beyond June 1, Mrs May has agreed to organise British elections to the European Parliament on May 23. However, it is still unclear if that vote will go ahead and how far it might turn into a virtual second referendum on EU membership that some hope could mean Britain cancelling Brexit.

The other 27 had all but ruled out pitching Britain, and parts of the EU economy, into chaos on Friday. But a drive by Mr Macron to keep London on a tight leash with an extension no longer than to June led to the emergency summit getting bogged down in late-night wrangling as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and others argued the merits of granting up to a year.

As talks wore on beyond midnight, with Mrs May patiently waiting elsewhere in the building for word on her nation’s fate, Mr Macron rallied support for his concerns about a long extension.

Mr May said on arrival that she did not want a long delay: “I want us to be able to leave the European Union in a smooth and orderly way as soon as possible,” she said.

-with Elizabeth Piper and Alastair Macdonald

-AAP