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LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May wrote to European Council President Donald Tusk on Friday asking to delay Brexit until June 30 to allow divided British lawmakers to agree a withdrawal deal.

“The United Kingdom proposes that this period should end on 30 June 2019,” May said in the letter.

May said that if an agreement was reached before this date, then Britain proposed that the extension should be ended early.

“The government will want to agree a timetable for ratification that allows the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union before 23 May 2019 and therefore cancel the European Parliament elections, but will continue to make responsible preparations to hold the elections should this not prove possible,” she said.