The European Union on Thursday has grudgingly agreed to allow Britain to delay its exit from the EU, which was set to happen March 29 if no deal was approved. But the EU said British lawmakers could delay until May 22 if they could come with a deal by next week — but if they couldn't, the exit will happen by April 12.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has accepted the deal and will now take it to British lawmakers.

May said British lawmakers had a "clear choice." They could back her withdrawal deal, deliver on the referendum and leave the EU in "an orderly manner" or face the prospect of having to stand candidates in the European Parliamentary elections, three years after the UK voted to leave the EU, BBC News reports.

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May also dismissed calls to revoke Article 50, which triggered Brexit two years ago. An online petition on Parliament's website to "cancel Brexit" has more than two million signatures. Parliament's petitions committee tweeted that the rate of signatures was "the highest the site has ever had to deal with," after the website crashed, BBC News reports.

The BBC's Brussels correspondent Adam Fleming reported May had spoken to EU leaders for 90 minutes and was asked several times what her contingency plans were if she lost the third "meaningful vote" on her deal in Parliament. British lawmakers have twice rejected May's withdrawal deal she has negotiated with the EU.