Diplomatic sources said EU capitals were ready to fall behind EU Council chief Donald Tusk’s three-month delay after the Prime Minister announced plans to hold a general election. Under the plan, Britain’s departure from the EU will be pushed back until January 31, 2020. But Mr Johnson could secure an early electoral boost by cutting that period short as long as his deal has been passed through the House of Commons and EU Parliament.

An exit clause in the new delay will allow Britain to leave the EU on a number of dates prior to the three-month extension deadline if the agreement is ratified before the end of the three month period.

An earlier departure, which would see the UK leave on November 15, could even be agreed if Brussels decides to alter its plans.

The Prime Minister has signalled he will give MPs until November 6 to scrutinise and vote on his pact before suspending Parliament for the snap ballot.

An EU diplomat said: “All leads to January 31 but, of course, if Boris Johnson passes the withdrawal agreement the UK will leave before.”

A second EU source added: “A clear majority have fallen behind Donald Tusk’s plan but without France we’re not there yet.”

Brussels leaders are expected to round on President Emmanuel Macron if he continues to demand only a 15-day delay to pressurise MPs into supporting the deal or crashing out without one.

European sources said this would be widely rejected because the Prime Minister would have to first seek Parliament’s permission under the terms of the Benn Act.

Another EU diplomat said an emergency summit would be deeply damaging to the EU27’s united image.

“We are all tired, let’s get this Brexit done in a pcyhyologicaly stable way,” they said.

“Another emergency summit would have been a really bad idea and a bad message to citizens.”

EU ambassadors will agree the terms of the extension at a meeting this morning before leaders rubber-stamp it remotely by email.

Yesterday Brussels next top bureaucrat Ursula von der Leyen warned the Prime Minister he would be forced to send an EU commissioner to Brussels in the delay runs into December.

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The incoming European Commission president insisted she will demand a £20,000-a-month official to join her team if Britain remains an EU member.

The German said the discussion “looks really good” over whether the EU27 will grant a three-month Article 50 extension.

She added: “If after November 1 – and there are still steps to take, so that is not a given – there might be an extension and the UK will still be in the EU then, of course, I would ask the UK to send a commissioner.”

During his first Commons speech as Prime Minister, Mr Johnson said “under no circumstances” would he nominate another British commissioner ahead of Brexit.

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Jean-Claude Juncker, who steps down as Commission president at the end of November, today branded Mr Johnson a liar.

The Brussels chief said “I should have intervened” to rebut “the lies Boris Johnson and others were spreading around” during the 2016 referendum campaign.

Speaking at a think-tank event, he added: “Brexit is a shame and it is the most difficult problem we have ever had to face.

“I don’t think Brexit is in the interest of Britain or the European Union. All of us will pay the price. As far as Brexit is concerned and all the problem we have had to face… I did my best.

“Don’t always give the impression that the Commission is responsible for the result of the referendum. It is not.

“If day after day you are reading in your papers that the place of Britain is not really in Europe. It is nonsense… b****** as they are saying.”

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