Nearly three years have passed since the public voted to leave the European Union.

It was the biggest democratic exercise in our country’s history.

I came to office on a promise to deliver on that verdict.

In March 2017, I triggered the Article 50 process for the UK to exit the EU – and Parliament supported it overwhelmingly.

Two years on, MPs have been unable to agree on a way to implement the UK’s withdrawal.

As a result, we will now not leave on time with a deal on 29 March.

This delay is a matter of great personal regret for me.

And of this I am absolutely sure: you the public have had enough.

You are tired of the infighting.

You are tired of the political games and the arcane procedural rows.

Tired of MPs talking about nothing else but Brexit when you have real concerns about our children’s schools, our National Health Service, and knife crime.

You want this stage of the Brexit process to be over and done with.

I agree. I am on your side.

It is now time for MPs to decide.

So today I have written to Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, to request a short extension of Article 50 up to the 30 June to give MPs the time to make a final choice.

Do they want to leave the EU with a deal which delivers on the result of the referendum – that takes back control of our money, borders and laws while protecting jobs and our national security?

Do they want to leave without a deal?

Or do they not want to leave at all, causing potentially irreparable damage to public trust – not just in this generation of politicians, but to our entire democratic process?

It is high time we made a decision.

So far, Parliament has done everything possible to avoid making a choice.

Motion after motion and amendment after amendment have been tabled without Parliament ever deciding what it wants.

All MPs have been willing to say is what they do not want.

I passionately hope MPs will find a way to back the deal I have negotiated with the EU.

A deal that delivers on the result of the referendum and is the very best deal negotiable.

I will continue to work night and day to secure the support of my colleagues, the DUP and others for this deal.

But I am not prepared to delay Brexit any further than 30 June.

Some argue that I am making the wrong choice, and I should ask for a longer extension to the end of the year or beyond, to give more time for politicians to argue over the way forward.

That would mean asking you to vote in European Elections, nearly three years after our country decided to leave.

What kind of message would that send?

And just how bitter and divisive would that election campaign be at a time when the country desperately needs bringing back together?

Some have suggested holding a second referendum.

I don’t believe that is what you want – and it is not what I want.

We asked you the question already and you gave us your answer.

Now you want us to get on with it.

And that is what I am determined to do.

Today (20 March) the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) delivered an appeals judgment on the case of Radovan Karadžić, a former Bosnian Serb politician and President of the Republika Srpska, who was convicted in 2016 of genocide in Srebrenica, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In today’s appeal judgement the IRMCT increased Radovan Karadžić’s sentence from 40 years, to life imprisonment given the gravity of the crimes he committed.

Following the verdict, Foreign Secretary said:

This judgment is an important result for international justice, confirming Karadžić’s convictions for genocide in Srebrenica and increasing his sentence to life in prison. It sends a powerful message that those who carry out atrocities will be held accountable for their actions and will be sentenced accordingly.

The thousands of victims and their relatives are foremost in our thoughts. Although this outcome will not erase their pain and suffering, we hope that it will provide some comfort to them.

We remain committed to achieving justice for victims. We will continue to support the work of the tribunal and other organisations seeking justice, supporting survivors, and aiming to find and identify those still missing as a result of conflict in the region.

The UK’s commitments to continue to seek justice are in line with the Joint Declarations on War Crimes and Missing Persons led by the UK and signed by Prime Ministers at the London Western Balkans Summit 2018.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals was established by the UN Security Council to continue the legacy work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (“ICTY”), including trying alleged war crimes from the conflicts in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.

Further information

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has commented on the appeals judgment by the IRMCT in the case of Radovan Karadžić.

There are images and videos of UK aid arriving in Maputo yesterday (20 March) available here. We only released this footage this afternoon. Please credit “Department for International Development” if used. For bids or interview requests, please call the DFID Press Office on 0207 023 0600.

The UK is to provide an extra £12 million of support, including food, water and shelter, to the survivors of Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt announced the new funding today (Wednesday) – taking the UK’s additional support for victims of the cyclone to £18 million.

Yesterday, over 7,500 emergency shelter kits and 100 family tents, all funded by UK aid, arrived in Mozambique for onward distribution to families who have had to flee their homes.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:

I’ve been extremely moved by the images I’ve seen of this devastating cyclone which has caused misery for millions of people across Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. This is, undoubtedly, one of the biggest natural disasters to ever hit the region, and our thoughts remain firmly with the victims of this cyclone.

Today’s UK aid package is a sign of the UK’s commitment to do all we can to make sure those in desperate need of humanitarian relief have access to life-saving essentials, including food, water and shelter.

The UK was one of the first countries to respond to this disaster. We are keeping the situation under close review.

UK aid will be used to help meet immediate needs on the ground across the countries affected, including:

• making sure families have access to clean water to drink and wash, which will also help to stop the spread of deadly diseases
• providing food and food vouchers to those affected
• ensuring that those that have been left homeless are able to access safe shelter.

Speaking from Maputo, Head of DFID Mozambique Cate Turton said:

This is one of the biggest humanitarian disasters that this region has ever faced, and we’re doing all that we can to get aid to those desperately in need.

Our absolutely priority at the moment is to get food, water and other critical supplies to affected communities, many of which are cut off because of damage to roads and infrastructure.

Notes to editors

• Today’s announcement of £12 million of UK aid in addition to Monday’s (18 March) announcement of £6 million, taking the UK’s total support to the crisis to £18 million.
• In addition to this week’s new support, DFID already provides core funding to international aid organisations on the ground, including UN agencies and the Red Cross movement, which are providing emergency humanitarian relief as part of the international response in the region.
• In Zimbabwe, UK aid has ensured health, medical and nutrition supplies were in place before the cyclone struck and have reached affected communities in Chimanimani.
• The UK also prepositioned vital relief items in Mozambique to support the response to a humanitarian emergency, including: hygiene kits, hardware items to help repair homes, water purifiers and solar lamps.
• DFID is also the biggest donor to the START Fund, which has allocated £400,000, to enable NGOs Trocaire and HelpAge International to meet immediate needs such as clean water and shelter in Malawi.
• UK aid is also supporting the World Food Programme (WFP) to feed 130,000 people for two weeks in Mozambique by distributing emergency food and food vouchers for people to use at local markets. In Malawi, existing UK support will help the WFP provide cash transfers so that 140,000 people can feed themselves until the end of March.

The UK is to provide an extra £12 million of support, including food, water and shelter, to the survivors of Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.