EU nations agree Brexit delay until Jan. 31 as PM Johnson seeks election

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson adjusts a poppy on his jacket during a meeting with fundraisers for the Royal British Legion outside Downing Street in London, Britain October 28, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville

LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union agreed a three-month flexible delay on Monday to Britain's departure from the bloc as Prime Minister Boris Johnson pushes for an election after opponents forced him to request an extension he had vowed never to ask for.

Just days before the United Kingdom is formally due to leave the EU on Oct. 31 at 2300 GMT, Brexit is hanging in the balance, with British politicians no closer to reaching a consensus on how, when or even if the divorce should take place.