Britain's parliament is set to back Theresa May's motion to start
Brexit proceedings by March next year in a vote Wednesday evening. May
has agreed to offer more details of her Brexit strategy provided her
motion passes.
The Prime Minister's pledge to provide further details on the UK's negotiating strategy appears to have headed off a rebellion in her Conservative Party over a lack of insight into the government's approach to Brexit.
The British Parliament will vote on May's amended notion at around 1900 UTC. It is expected to pass.
The vote, however, is not binding and the government is still fighting a legal challenge in the Supreme Court that parliament should have the final say on triggering the UK's withdrawal process from the European Union.
May has said she plans to launch Brexit proceedings by March 31, 2017.
The opposition Labour Party had tried to force May to publish more details of her plan before invoking Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon treaty, formally triggering a two-year deadline to withdraw from the bloc.
However, May turned the tables on Labour by publishing an amendment effectively accepting the motion, while also proposing that Wednesday's debate should also be on whether lawmakers "respect the wishes" of the British people to leave the EU. Few will likely oppose the notion for fear of appearing undemocratic.
"The focus is now where it should be: on the terms upon which we exit the EU," Labour's Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer said in a statement released Wednesday.
"Labour have consistently said that we will not frustrate or delay the process of triggering Article 50. Therefore Labour will accept the government's amendment," Starmer said.
Government minister David Lidington warned on Wednesday that any lawmaker voting against the motion would "be seeking to thwart the outcome of the referendum in the most profoundly undemocratic manner."
Lawmakers welcomed May's decision to offer parliamentary scrutiny of her Brexit plan. However, some MPs have expressed concern that May will offer little beyond stock catchphrases and pledges to get "the best possible deal."
"The government's commitment to publishing a Brexit plan is good news but the devil will be in the detail," James McGrory, an executive director of the Open Britain campaign lobbying for a so-called "soft" Brexit, said. "The plan they bring before parliament should be substantive and it should be given proper time for debate."
However, Labour lawmaker Ben Bradshaw labeled May's amendment a "trap."
"I will not vote today to invoke Article 50 by March when we still have no idea what sort of Brexit the government will pursue," he wrote on Twitter.
A spokesman for the PM said Wednesday's parliamentary vote will not affect the government's case currently being heard by the Supreme Court over who has the right to trigger Article 50, calling it a "separate issue."
"The court knows a motion may be approved in the House of Commons today," David Pannick, the lawyer leading the challenge to the government's position told the Surpreme Court on Wednesday.
David Davis said that even if Parliament doesn't vote on the final Brexit deal, it will not reverse Britain's withdrawal
"I
want to be very clear about this. Our submission is that a motion in
parliament does not affect, cannot affect, the legal issues in this
case," Pannick said.
In a parliamentary debate Wednesday, Davis said: "If the European Parliament has a vote, it is inconceivable this house doesn't - simple as that."
However, he said such an outcome would not reverse the fact that Britain was leaving the EU.
Davis also said that, with at least 15 elections scheduled to take place across the bloc during the two-year Brexit negotiation period, the backdrop to Britain's withdrawal could make "a challenging climate" for talks.
British
police on Wednesday said they had arrested a man on suspicion of
sending racist messages to a businesswoman spearheading the legal
challenge to Britain's divorce from the EU.
Gina Miller, who was born in Guyana, revealed to the BBC after an initial High Court hearing that she had been target of racist trolls on the Internet. The abusive remarks included jibes that "I should be beheaded, gang-raped, I'm not even human, I'm a primate, I belong in a kitchen - that's the nicest of them," she said.
London's Metropolitan Police revealed they had detained a 55-year-old man from Wiltshire, south-west England, for making online threats dating back to November 3, the day following the ruling that May could not trigger Article 50 without consulting lawmakers in parliament.
Police said the man was suspected of sending racially aggravated malicious communications He was later released on bail.
Source
The Prime Minister's pledge to provide further details on the UK's negotiating strategy appears to have headed off a rebellion in her Conservative Party over a lack of insight into the government's approach to Brexit.
The British Parliament will vote on May's amended notion at around 1900 UTC. It is expected to pass.
The vote, however, is not binding and the government is still fighting a legal challenge in the Supreme Court that parliament should have the final say on triggering the UK's withdrawal process from the European Union.
May has said she plans to launch Brexit proceedings by March 31, 2017.
The opposition Labour Party had tried to force May to publish more details of her plan before invoking Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon treaty, formally triggering a two-year deadline to withdraw from the bloc.
However, May turned the tables on Labour by publishing an amendment effectively accepting the motion, while also proposing that Wednesday's debate should also be on whether lawmakers "respect the wishes" of the British people to leave the EU. Few will likely oppose the notion for fear of appearing undemocratic.
"The focus is now where it should be: on the terms upon which we exit the EU," Labour's Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer said in a statement released Wednesday.
"Labour have consistently said that we will not frustrate or delay the process of triggering Article 50. Therefore Labour will accept the government's amendment," Starmer said.
Government minister David Lidington warned on Wednesday that any lawmaker voting against the motion would "be seeking to thwart the outcome of the referendum in the most profoundly undemocratic manner."
May pressured to show Brexit hand
May has come under increasing pressure from lawmakers, businesses and investors over a lack of insight into the government's Brexit strategy. She has repeatedly said that prematurely revealing her hand would undermine the UK's position ahead of the negotiations.Lawmakers welcomed May's decision to offer parliamentary scrutiny of her Brexit plan. However, some MPs have expressed concern that May will offer little beyond stock catchphrases and pledges to get "the best possible deal."
"The government's commitment to publishing a Brexit plan is good news but the devil will be in the detail," James McGrory, an executive director of the Open Britain campaign lobbying for a so-called "soft" Brexit, said. "The plan they bring before parliament should be substantive and it should be given proper time for debate."
However, Labour lawmaker Ben Bradshaw labeled May's amendment a "trap."
"I will not vote today to invoke Article 50 by March when we still have no idea what sort of Brexit the government will pursue," he wrote on Twitter.
A spokesman for the PM said Wednesday's parliamentary vote will not affect the government's case currently being heard by the Supreme Court over who has the right to trigger Article 50, calling it a "separate issue."
"The court knows a motion may be approved in the House of Commons today," David Pannick, the lawyer leading the challenge to the government's position told the Surpreme Court on Wednesday.
Brexit minister: EU parliament may vote on final deal
David Davis, Britain's Brexit minister, said on Wednesday that the British Parliament may not get to vote at all on the country's final Brexit deal.In a parliamentary debate Wednesday, Davis said: "If the European Parliament has a vote, it is inconceivable this house doesn't - simple as that."
However, he said such an outcome would not reverse the fact that Britain was leaving the EU.
Davis also said that, with at least 15 elections scheduled to take place across the bloc during the two-year Brexit negotiation period, the backdrop to Britain's withdrawal could make "a challenging climate" for talks.
Man arrested for racist messages to Brexit opponent
Gina Miller, who was born in Guyana, revealed to the BBC after an initial High Court hearing that she had been target of racist trolls on the Internet. The abusive remarks included jibes that "I should be beheaded, gang-raped, I'm not even human, I'm a primate, I belong in a kitchen - that's the nicest of them," she said.
London's Metropolitan Police revealed they had detained a 55-year-old man from Wiltshire, south-west England, for making online threats dating back to November 3, the day following the ruling that May could not trigger Article 50 without consulting lawmakers in parliament.
Police said the man was suspected of sending racially aggravated malicious communications He was later released on bail.
Source