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Tag: BREXIT

  • British PM Johnson threatens Brexit rebels with party expulsion

    British PM Johnson threatens Brexit rebels with party expulsion

    The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, threatened to expel rebel lawmakers from his Conservative Party if they thwart his Brexit plans by voting to prevent a no-deal exit from the EU.

    Johnson’s promise to leave the EU on Oct. 31 with or without a divorce agreement has propelled the United Kingdom towards a constitutional crisis and a showdown with the 27 other members of the bloc, with an election one of the possibilities.

    Conservative Party rebels are plotting with opposition parties to take control of parliament and tie the government’s hands with legislation that would block a no-deal exit from the EU which they say would be ruinous to the economy.

    With just over 24 hours until parliament returns on Tuesday from its summer break, Johnson’s enforcers warned rebels that if they voted against the government they would be giving control of parliament to Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

    “If they fail to vote with the government on Tuesday they will be destroying the government’s negotiating position and handing control of parliament to Jeremy Corbyn,” said a source in the whips office.

    “Any Conservative MP (member of parliament), who does this will have the whip withdrawn and will not stand as Conservative candidates in an election,” the source said.

    More than three years since the United Kingdom voted 52-48 per cent in a referendum to leave the EU, it is still unclear on what terms, or indeed whether, Brexit would take place.

    Corbyn, Labour’s veteran socialist leader, will say on Monday he is ready to do everything possible to stop a no-deal Brexit, describing it as a final attempt to pull “our country back from the brink”.

    In the parliamentary chess game over Brexit, it was also unclear what Johnson’s response would be if the alliance of rebel Conservative lawmakers and opposition parties succeed in defeating the government.

    Johnson, the face of the 2016 Vote Leave campaign, has cast rebels as EU “collaborators” who are undermining the government’s negotiating hand by blunting his threat of a no-deal Brexit.

    “Their (the government’s) strategy, to be honest, is to lose this week and then seek a general election,” said David Gauke, a former justice minister who is one of the rebel Conservative lawmakers.

    An election is one of the options under consideration, BBC Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg said.

    House of Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said any wise party would prepare for an election and that the rebel legislation would be considered a matter of confidence in the government.

    “It is important for the government to establish the confidence of the House of Commons and this is essentially a confidence matter: Who should control the legislative agenda, Jeremy Corbyn or Boris Johnson?” Rees-Mogg said.

    An election would open up three main options: a Brexit-supporting government under Johnson, a Labour government led by Corbyn or a hung parliament that could lead to a coalition or minority government of some kind.

    After Johnson moved to suspend parliament ahead of Brexit, opponents of a no-deal exit are seeking to overturn his decision in the courts.

    Hearings are due on Sept. 3, Sept. 5 and Sept. 6.

    Nick Boles, a former Conservative who now sits as an independent member of parliament, said the rebels would seek to force the government to ask the EU for a Brexit delay.

    He said this would come up if government was unable to ratify a revised Withdrawal Agreement by a certain date in October.

  • May congratulates Johnson, urges him to ‘deliver Brexit that works for whole UK’

    Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated Boris Johnson, her successor as Conservative party leader, and urged him to “work together to deliver a Brexit that works for the whole UK.”
    May, who is due to hand over leadership of the country to Johnson on Wednesday, also urged him to ensure the Conservatives “keep (opposition Labour leader) Jeremy Corbyn out of government.”
    “You will have my full support from the back benches (of parliament),” she added.
    Johnson will not take office formally until Wednesday afternoon.
    May will face her final prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons before tendering her resignation to the Queen.
    Johnson will then go to Buckingham Palace himself for his appointment to be confirmed – before being driven to Downing Street to give a speech in front of the black door of No 10.
    He takes charge at a perilous political moment.
    The Conservatives’ wafer-thin parliamentary working majority is expected to be eroded further next week – to just two – if the Liberal Democrats win the Brecon and Radnorshire byelection.
    Johnson has faced a furious internal revolt even before arriving in Downing Street, with several key cabinet ministers, including the chancellor, Philip Hammond, saying they will resign rather than serve under him.
    They have been alarmed by Johnson’s insistence that he is willing to countenance leaving the European Union without a deal on Oct. 31, rather than postpone Brexit once again – even if that meant proroguing parliament.

  • Britain, go or stay, stop diverting attention – Owei Lakemfa

    By Owei Lakemfa

    A Nigerian genius, Odia Ofeimum asked me a rhetorical question: “How does a minority which takes control of the majority, retain power?” He answered: “ By force or falsehood” I added: “Or both” Although he raised it within the context of the ethnocentric power relations in Nigeria, it is also true of Britain.

    The Vikings from the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark for three centuries from 800 AD, poured out, attacking ships and raiding coastal areas especially in Europe. They later forced France to cede the northern part of the country to them, which they named Normandy. The Vikings had a sense of entitlement so when the Anglo-Saxon (English) throne became vacant in 1066 following the death of Edward the Confessor, who left no heirs, Norwegian Vikings led by Harald Hardrada felt they had a right to seize the throne. But the invaders were defeated by the English led by Harold Godwinesson. However, the war-weary English were no match for a second invading Viking army, this time the Normans led by 38-year old William, Duke of Normandy. William crowned himself, king of England on Christmas Day in 1066 and became known as William the Bastard or William the Conqueror.

    Applying Ofeimum’s theory of how minorities rule majorities, history showed how the conquering Vikings/Normans established the British monarchy which subsist until today, ruled the majority English, brought Scotland and Wales and part of Ireland under their control and called the new territory, United Kingdom. It also showed how small Britain invaded 95 countries in the world, conquering and colonizing vast territories including India and Nigeria, singing “Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves!” and vowing the sun will never set on its empire. But the sun actually set on it as the bruising Second World War saw the demise of the empire called “Great” Britain.

    A humbled Britain tried to join the European Common Market (Now the European Union, EU) in 1963 and 1967, but then French President, Charles De Gaulle vetoed it. His argument was that Britain with its balance of payment problems, devalued currency, tradition of obtaining cheap food from all parts of the world and its “habits and traditions.” was unfit to join the rest of Europe.

    De Gaulle died in 1970, and three years later, Britain under Prime Minister Edward Heath, was admitted into the European Common Market. Forty nine years after De Gaulle blocked Britain, the country itself voted to exit the body in what has become known as Brexit. But in the last three years, Britain which had taken the democratic decision to exit the EU continues to dilly dally rather than take a principled position.

    That tells a lot about Old Britain which, to use a trite English expression, wants to eat its cake and have it; it claims to belong to the European Union without wanting to abide by its basic programmes. A major achievement of the EU is a common currency, the Euro, but Britain sticks to its British Pound. EU has a common visa, the Shengen, but Britain sticks to its own individual visa. Britain which had through the use of force, falsehood, cunning and unparalleled ruthlessness ruled, conquered, colonized or seized major parts of the world including the United States, Canada, Australia, the Palestine and many parts of Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, in Brexit, exposed itself as merely a smart alec with a sense of entitlement.

    Although it voluntarily joined a union which logically dictates that it must give up some of its sovereignty, Britain complained it was losing some sovereignty to the EU Executive and wanted it fully restored.

    While EU law allows free movement of member-country citizens including the right to live and work in part of the continent, Britain sought to restrict the free movement of citizens from EU member countries especially from Easter European countries like Romania and Poland.

    While Britain gets a lot of services from the EU including subsidy for its farmers, it complains that it is contributing £13 billion ($19 billion) annually to the EU. The Brexit supporters argued that it is better for Britain to directly control and utilize this contribution.

    So Britain held a referendum on June 23, 2016 based on the question: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” The result was 17,410,742 or 51.89 percent voting Brexit and 16,141,241 or 48.11 percent voting to remain. The results showed that the primary force for Brexit were the English who voted 53.38 percent for exit and 46.62 percent to remain. The only minority group that voted for exit was Wales with 52.53 percent for and 47 percent against. Scotland which is trying to secede from the United Kingdom posted an overwhelming 62 percent to remain while 38 percent voted exit. Northern Ireland with its restless Irish population who want to have unfettered access to the rest of Ireland, voted 55.78 percent to remain while 44.22 percent voted Brexit. Only 33 percent of Asian voters and 27 percent Black voters wanted exit, the rest voted for Britain to remain in the EU.

    With the vote, Prime Minister David Cameron, who had campaigned to remain, resigned and his hardline Home Secretary, Theresa May who was also opposed to Brexit, replaced him vowing to implement a programme she campaigned against.

    On March 29, 2017, her government invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, starting a two-year process within which Britain was to exit the EU. That was when the tantrums started. So when the exit date came, Britain remained undecided, with Mrs. May rushing a number of times to European countries and the EU headquarters in Brussels to beg for more time which she got under humiliating circumstances. Although her three years in office has been consumed by Brexit, she has lost all votes in parliament on the issue.

    Brexit has become non-stop comedy in which Britain not only entertains on the world stage, but also popularizes and coins all sorts of words and expressions. These include Brexit, Irish Backstop, Blind or Blindfold Brexit, Hard Border, Chequers Plan. No Deal Brexit, Hard Brexit, Soft Brexit, Slow Brexit, Leavers, Brexiteers, Brextremist, Brexiters, Lexiters, Brexiter, Remainer and Remoaner.

    Exactly one week ago, the Prime Minister tearfully resigned. Theresa May wept in May for failing to achieve the Brexit mission she never had faith in; it is not her failure, but that of her country which placed responsibilities on a person who by speech, demonstration and vote showed clearly she was opposed to Brexit.

    I would have campaigned for the Brexit entertainment to continue, except that it is diverting attention from serious global issues like insecurity, senseless wars, growing mass poverty, hunger and climate change.

  • UK should ‘cool down’, ‘rethink Brexit’ – EU commission

    Britain should use the next few months to “cool down and rethink” its decision to leave the European Union, the socialist candidate to head the next European Commission, Frans Timmermans, said on Wednesday.

    Last week EU leaders gave Britain an extension of its departure date until Oct. 31, with the possibility of leaving sooner if parliament ratifies a divorce deal Prime Minister Theresa May has negotiated with the EU. Lawmakers have already rejected the deal three times.

    “I absolutely hope that the UK might stay in the EU,” Timmermans, now the Commission’s first vice president, said in a television debate on France 24 with his main rival, Manfred Weber of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP).

    “I hope this period of extension will be used for Britain to calm down and rethink things a bit, perhaps for politicians to be more responsible with the promises they make, and then look at the issue again later this year,” the Dutchman said.

    “Who knows what might change in the meantime?” he said.

    Timmermans was expressing a sentiment shared by some in the EU, notably the chairman of EU leaders, Donald Tusk, that Britain could still change its mind and stay in the EU.

    Polls show that enough Britons may have had a change of heart about Brexit since the 2016 referendum, in which they voted to leave the bloc by 52 to 48 percent. But May and her government remain strongly opposed to holding another vote.

    Timmermans hopes to replace the EPP’s Jean-Claude Juncker as head of the European Commission, the most powerful of EU institutions. He is running on a ticket from the EU’s second biggest political family, the socialists.

    Britain is likely to still be a member of the EU at the time of the European Parliament elections on May 23-26, which means it would take part in the vote. Britain’s opposition Labour Party, which backs a second referendum, could help Timmermans’ socialists win more seats in the 751-seat European assembly.

    Weber does not stand to benefit in the same way from British participation in the EU elections because no UK parties belong to the EPP, currently the largest grouping in the parliament.

    “I have a problem that they (Britain) are now participating in the EU elections, are deciding about the future of our union,” Weber said during the TV debate with Timmermans.

  • Theresa May, EU leaders agree new Brexit extension to Oct 31

    Theresa May, EU leaders agree new Brexit extension to Oct 31

    British Prime Minister, Theresa May and EU leaders agreed on Thursday to a Brexit extension until Oct. 31 at the latest, narrowly averting a no-deal Brexit the following day.

    However, within minutes of finalising their decision at a special EU summit in Brussels, European Council President Donald Tusk hinted that there could be further reprieves down the road.

    “Our intention is to finalise the whole process in October,” Tusk said.

    “But I am too old to exclude another scenario. Everything is possible.”

    The flexible extension – which would allow Britain to leave the EU whenever its withdrawal deal is approved – grants Britain a further six months “to find the best possible solution,” Tusk wrote on Twitter.

    May needs the extra time to broker parliamentary approval on the withdrawal deal negotiated with Brussels, which lawmakers in the House of Commons have rejected three times.

    The embattled British premier had asked for a delay until June 30, but most EU leaders favoured a longer term, according to EU sources.

    The deadline has already been postponed once, from March 29.

    However, French President Emmanuel Macron dug in his heels during the eight-hour summit, insisting on a shorter extension so Brexit does not threaten the functioning of the EU.

    EU leaders set several conditions, notably requiring Britain to participate in European Parliament elections if it is still a member when they begin on May 23.

    Otherwise “the withdrawal will take place on June 1, 2019,” the 27 leaders wrote in a joint statement.

    However, May expressed hope that Britain would be out by then.

    “If we are able to pass a deal in the first three weeks of May, we will not have to take part in European elections and will officially leave the EU on Saturday June 1,” she said in Brussels.

    EU leaders insisted in their statement that during the extension, the withdrawal deal cannot be reopened.

    Britain is expected to act in a “constructive and responsible” manner until its departure, refraining from measures that could “jeopardize” EU objectives.

    They agreed to “take stock” of the situation at their regular June summit, however, this date “is not a cliff-edge,” Tusk insisted.

    Macron justified the Oct. 31 deadline by explaining that Britain would have left before the new European Commission takes up its work the following day, thus preventing London from hampering EU priorities.

    Across the Atlantic, U.S. President Donald Trump has complained the EU has been “so tough” on Britain.

    “Too bad that the EU is being so tough on the United Kingdom and Brexit,” Trump wrote on Twitter.

    The U.S. president also accused the EU of being “a brutal trading partner with the U.S., which will change.”

    He added: “Sometimes in life you have to let people breathe before it all comes back to bite you!”

    May has conceded that the weeks ahead would not be easy, noting that Britain faces “stark” choices.

    While rejecting the withdrawal deal, parliament has also failed to coalesce around any other option, prompting May’s Conservative government to hold talks with the opposition Labour Party in a bid to break the impasse.

    These negotiations – a rarity in British politics – are set to continue on Thursday.

    Labour’s key demand is that Britain remains in a long-term customs union with the EU, but this is anathema to many Conservative eurosceptics.

    Should the October deadline prove too tight, German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested that the EU could grant yet more time if it means the withdrawal deal is adopted.

    “In our view, it doesn’t depend on the exact day,” she said.

  • BREXIT: UK ‘removes’ European Union on new passports [Photo]

    BREXIT: UK ‘removes’ European Union on new passports [Photo]

    British passports without the words “European Union” on the front cover have been issued despite the Brexit delay.

    The burgundy passports were introduced from March 30th, the day after Britain was expected to leave the EU.

    Some passports including the words “European Union” will continue to be issued while the remaining stock is used up.

    But those applying for a new travel document will not be able to choose between the two.

    A Home Office spokeswoman said: “Burgundy passports that no longer include the words European Union on the front cover were introduced from 30 March 2019.

    “In order to use leftover stock and achieve best value to the taxpayer, passports that include the words European Union will continue to be issued for a short period after this date.

    “There will be no difference for British citizens whether they are using a passport that includes the words European Union, or a passport that does not. Both designs will be equally valid for travel.”

    The decision to remove the words was made in anticipation of Britain leaving the EU at the end of last month.

    Dark blue passports are scheduled to be issued from the end of this year.

  • Theresa May requests Brexit extension to June 30

    Theresa May requests Brexit extension to June 30

    British Prime Minister Theresa May seeks to delay Brexit until June 30 to avoid a chaotic withdrawal from the European Union in one week, but a key leader of the bloc suggested an even longer pause in the difficult divorce proceedings.

    The question over timing is vital because Britain is set to leave the EU without a withdrawal deal in place on April 12 unless an agreement is reached at a Brussels summit set to take place two days earlier.

    In a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, May asked for an extension until June 30 and agreed to make contingency plans to take part in European Parliament elections on May 23-26 if necessary.

    Tusk proposed a longer time frame. He urged the 27 remaining EU nations to offer the UK a flexible extension of up to a year to make sure the nation doesn’t crash out of the bloc in a chaotic and costly way.

    British Prime Minister Theresa May seeks to delay Brexit until June 30 to avoid a chaotic withdrawal from the European Union in one week, but a key leader of the bloc suggested an even longer pause in the difficult divorce proceedings.

    The question over timing is vital because Britain is set to leave the EU without a withdrawal deal in place on April 12 unless an agreement is reached at a Brussels summit set to take place two days earlier.

    In a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, May asked for an extension until June 30 and agreed to make contingency plans to take part in European Parliament elections on May 23-26 if necessary.

    Tusk proposed a longer time frame. He urged the 27 remaining EU nations to offer the UK a flexible extension of up to a year to make sure the nation doesn’t crash out of the bloc in a chaotic and costly way.

    Speaking on the sidelines of a Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting in the French Atlantic resort of Dinard, Hunt said a drawn-out exit would be “a bad outcome all round” for Britain and the EU.

    He said: “I don’t think the EU member states want a long extension. We certainly don’t want a long extension.”

    While acknowledging road blocks in the process, Hunt said “Britain is not dragging its feet” and that the impasse over the past few months was a function of the fact that no party has a majority in Parliament.

    The German government is welcoming Britain’s acknowledgement that a longer delay to Brexit would require the UK to participate in European Parliament elections.

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, wouldn’t comment on her government’s position on those proposals. But he said it is “important” May “recognises that, with such an extension to June 30 … Britain must make preparations to participate in the European election” in May.

    Outspoken Brexit advocate Jacob Rees-Mogg is suggesting that a long delay to Britain’s departure from the European Union would give Britain plenty of time to cause trouble for fellow EU members.

    In a tweet, Rees-Mogg said “if a long extension leaves us stuck in the EU, we should be as difficult as possible”.

    The Conservative Party lawmaker suggests using Britain’s position to veto any EU budget increases, block the establishment of an EU army, and make it impossible for French President Emmanuel Macron to push further EU integration.

    He tweeted after an EU leader suggested a long Brexit delay may be the best course.

    Brexit backer Nigel Farage also said he would campaign in European Parliament elections set for late May if Britain takes part, as he expects will happen.

    Two EU officials, who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorised to disclose information before it was made public, said that Tusk wants a one-year “Flextension” and get it approved at next Wednesday’s EU summit.

    Such a move would mean that the UK needs to take part in the May 23-26 European elections, something which the UK prime minister has long argued against.

    Any extension to the deadline will need unanimous approval from the 27 remaining EU nations. French President Emmanuel Macron has thus far seemed cautious about giving Britain more time, saying the EU cannot be held hostage by Britain’s political deadlock over Brexit.

    The complex maneuvering comes as Britain’s Parliament considers legislation designed to prevent a “no-deal” departure from the EU currently set for April 12.

    There are concerns that an abrupt departure could lead to economic slowdown and a breakdown in food and medical supplies as border checks and tariffs are added overnight.

    Britain’s upper House of Lords is set to resume debate on the measure Monday. It was endorsed earlier by the lower House of Commons by just one vote.

    EU leaders agreed late last month to prolong the Brexit date from March 29 until April 12, unless May could push their mutually agreed divorce deal through Parliament.

    The Europeans would prefer that Britain don’t take part in the European Parliament elections if it is going to leave. April 12 is the last day for Britain to signal whether it will field candidates.

    May said in her letter that Britain is reluctantly ready to begin preparations for the European elections if no Brexit deal is reached in the interim.

    She said she is making these preparations even though she believes it is not in Britain’s interest or the EU’s interest for Britain to take part in the elections because it is a departing member state.

    May says she “accepts” the EU position that if Britain has not left the 28-nation bloc by May 23 it will have a legal obligation to take part in the elections.

    The prime minister says she is still hopeful of reaching a compromise agreement that could take Britain out of the EU before that time.

    May says it is “frustrating” that Britain hasn’t yet resolved the situation. Her withdrawal plan, agreed with the EU over more than two years of delicate negotiations, has been rejected by Parliament three times, leading to the current political and legal impasse.

    She is now seeking a compromise in a series of talks with Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and his deputies with hopes of winning opposition backing for a new divorce plans.

    If that doesn’t work, May plans a series of votes in Parliament to see if a majority-backed plan can emerge.

    Ideas being discussed include keeping Britain in a customs union with the EU after it leaves the bloc, as well as the possibility of a second referendum.

    There is fierce opposition from Conservative Party Brexit-backer to these options.

    Britain voted by a 52 per cent to 48 per cent margin in 2016 to leave the bloc.

  • Britain’s Theresa May asks EU to delay Brexit until June 30

    UK Prime Minister Theresa May has written to European Council President Donald Tusk to request to delay the UK‘s departure from the European Union by three months.

    The UK is currently due to leave on March 29, but the British parliament has twice rejected May’s divorce deal with the EU, prompting concerns that the UK could exit the bloc without a deal.

    On Monday, Speaker of the House John Bercow made a surprise decision to not allow a third “meaningful vote” on May’s Brexit plan, forcing the prime minister to seek an extension to allow time to revamp the deal.

    Addressing MPs on Wednesday, May said she does not want a long extension that would potentially involve the UK taking part in elections to the European Parliament in late May, as doing so would fail to honour the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum.

    In her letter to Tusk, May said she would seek to delay the UK’s departure until June 30. Last week, British MPs voted in favour of a short extension to the deadline.

    May wrote that she remained confident that British MPs would ratify the Brexit deal she negotiated with the bloc.

    “But this clearly will not be completed before March 29,” she added.

    May blamed Bercow and Parliament for failing to agree on a deal, saying Parliament had “indulged itself enough” on Brexit.

    According to reports, May’s decision to seek a shorter delay also followed “heavy pressure” from pro-Brexit MPs in her party.

    “If she’d gone to the EU and asked for a long extension, as indeed she’d said she was going to, she faced multiple resignations from her own cabinet,” Hull said.

    Later on Wednesday, Shadow Brexit Minister Keir Starmer applied for an emergency debate in parliament on May’s decision to request the three-month delay, Bercow said.

    Labour Party MP Starmer said the UK should use any delay to allow parliament to break the current impasse over Brexit, telling parliament he thought the responsible approach would be for May to “seek an extension to prevent no deal and provide time for parliament to find a majority for a different approach”.

    The debate is scheduled for Wednesday evening and could last up to three hours.

    The pound fell following May’s announcement, losing nearly one percent of its value on the day.

     

  • Theresa May faces heavy Brexit defeat in parliament, eurosceptics warn

    Theresa May’s Brexit deal faces a heavy defeat in parliament on Tuesday, the leaders of two major eurosceptic factions in parliament said on Sunday.

    According to parliament May has so far secured no major changes from the European Union.

    Just 19 days before the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29, May’s is scrambling, so far unsuccessfully, to secure last-minute changes to an EU exit agreement before a vote on Tuesday on whether to approve the deal.

    If she fails, lawmakers are expected to force May to seek a delay to Brexit that some fear could see the 2016 decision to leave the bloc reversed.

    Others argued that without a delay Britain faces chaos if it leaves without a deal on March 29.

    Nigel Dodds, the deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which props up May’s minority government, and Steve Baker, a leading figure in the large eurosceptic faction of her Conservative party, warned “the political situation is grim’’.

    “An unchanged withdrawal agreement will be defeated firmly by a size able proportion of Conservatives and the DUP if it is again presented to the Commons,” they wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.

    The Sunday Times said May was battling to save her job as aides were considering persuading her to offer to resign in a bid to get the deal approved.

    The newspaper also said cabinet ministers have spoken about whether to insist she goes as early as this week.

    Parliament rejected May’s deal by a record margin in January, prompting the British leader to return to Brussels in search of changes to address the so-called Irish backstop, an insurance policy designed to prevent the return of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

    Many British lawmakers object to the policy on the grounds that it could leave Britain subject to EU rules indefinitely and cleave Northern Ireland away from the rest of the country.

    But, May’s attempts to get the clause rewritten have so far failed to yield any result, with EU negotiators unwilling to meet her demands, and Britain rejecting a compromise offer.

    Britain’s opposition Labour Party should support staying in the EU if there is a second referendum, the party’s Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer, said on Sunday.

    “If there’s a public vote that would operate as a lock, if you like, on any deal that Theresa May get through. If that is the position, then in my view, the default ought to be ‘remain’’ Starmer told Sky News.

    However, Starmer said the party would not be seeking to secure support in parliament for a second referendum on Tuesday.

     

  • Brexit must not be frustrated -Theresa May

    UK Prime Minister Theresa May has said Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) must not be frustrated.

    Local media reported that May also said that the government must focus on delivering it.

    May is trying to get changes to the Brexit package before putting it to another vote in parliament.

    If she fails, May will have to decide whether to delay Brexit or endanger the world’s fifth largest economy by leaving without a deal on March 29.

    “Our focus to deliver Brexit must be absolute.

    “We must not, and I will not, frustrate what was the largest democratic exercise in this country’s history.

    “In the very final stages of this process, the worst thing we could do is lose our focus,” May told Conservative Party activists on Saturday.

    Three British cabinet ministers have publicly indicated they will back plans to delay Brexit if lawmakers vote down May’s plan for a new deal with the EU.

    Business Minister Greg Clark, Work and Pensions Minister Amber Rudd and Justice Minister David Gauke signaled in a Daily Mail column that they would side with rebels and opposition parties to stop Britain leaving without a deal if necessary.

    May has promised that if she does not bring a revised deal back by Feb. 27, parliament will have an opportunity to vote on the next steps.

    Some lawmakers are expected to use that to try to wrest control of the process from the government.