Government: Brexit proposal in a few days

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May.Photo:(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool)

The British government is “within days” of presenting a bill to start the Brexit process, says Brexit Minister David Davis.

The British Supreme Court stated on Tuesday that its government cannot initiate the withdrawal process from the EU before the matter is dealt with in Parliament.

Prime Minister Theresa May has been firm that the government is sovereign and could trigger Article 50, which starts the Brexit process with the EU. The government therefore filed an appeal to the Supreme Court.

– The Supreme Court’s decision is a ‘prestige defeat’ for Prime Minister Theresa May, but I do not think it is going to delay the trigger, says UK expert Øivind Bratberg, who is an associate professor at the University of Oslo.

He describes the decision as “a little bump in the road” for the prime minister Theresa May.
– But it is an important decision because it gives a constitutional seal of approval that Parliament must be part of the Brexit process from start to finish, says Bratberg to the news agency NTB.

He believes that May can expect more resistance as the negotiations progress.

Receives a majority

Brexit Minister David Davis said the proposal, which will now be submitted to Parliament, means the government will quickly implement its plans and initiate the formal exit process by the end of March.

– The Supreme Court has had it’s say. Now we need Parliament to do as the people have decided – we will trigger Article 50 by the end of March. Now we must go on, tweeted Foreign Minister and EU opponent Boris Johnson.

It is expected that the Government’s proposal will be adopted with a solid majority in Parliament. The Conservatives have a majority, and the BBC writes that the only Tory MP who has announced that he will vote against the proposal, is former cabinet minister Kenneth Clarke.

Opposition leader and EU supporter Jeremy Corbyn says that Labour is not going to thwart the process. But the party announced today that it will require certain conditions for how the process ahead should take place.

– I think the vast majority of Labour MPs will vote with the government. They have everything to gain by standing united, but may come with additional proposals. This is to have something to fall back on later, when the real battles take place, says Øivind Bratberg.

Scottish wrath

The eleven Supreme Court judges also decided that it is not necessary that Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales should give a green light for the Brexit process to be initiated.

This has created resentment, especially in Scotland. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she is going to hold a vote in the Scottish Parliament Holyrood whatever the Supreme Court has decided.

– It becomes clearer day by day that Scotland’s voice is not being heard or taken into account, said Sturgeon.

Sturgeon has previously announced that a new Scottish referendum on independence is steadily approaching.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today

 

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