May鈥檚 Brexit grief hits a new parliamentary crisis
Print Edition
UK Prime Minister Theresa May will ask the European Union to delay Brexit by at least three months after her plans for another vote on her twice-defeated divorce deal were thrown into crisis by a surprise intervention by the speaker of parliament.
Nearly three years after Britain voted to leave the EU, its departure is uncertain. Possible outcomes still range from a long postponement, leaving with May鈥檚 deal, a disruptive exit without a deal or even another referendum.
Just nine days before the March 29 exit date that May set two years ago by submitting a formal 鈥淎rticle 50鈥 request to leave 鈥 and two days before a crucial EU summit 鈥 she was yesterday writing to European Council President Donald Tusk to ask for a delay, her spokesman said.
It was not immediately clear how long a delay she would seek. She had warned parliament that if it did not ratify her deal, she would ask to delay Brexit beyond June 30, a step that Brexit鈥檚 advocates fear would endanger the entire divorce.
Other EU member states were discussing two main options: a delay of two to three months, if May persuades them she can clinch a deal at home, or much longer if May accepts that radical reworking is needed. In a move that added to the sense of crisis in London, speaker John Bercow ruled on Monday that May鈥檚 Brexit deal had to be substantially different to be voted on again by parliament.
Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay said a vote this week on the deal was now less likely. But ministers were studying options, and he indicated the government still planned a third vote.
鈥淭his is a moment of crisis for our country,鈥 he said.
The EU鈥檚 most powerful leader, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said: 鈥淚 will fight until the last minute of the time to March 29 for an orderly exit. We haven鈥檛 got a lot of time for that.鈥
Her foreign minister, Heiko Maas, said: 鈥淚f more time is needed, it鈥檚 always better to do another round than a no-deal Brexit.鈥
If it left this way, Britain would quit the EU鈥檚 500-million-strong single market and customs union overnight, falling back on World Trade Organisation rules that could mean many import and export tariffs. It would face the prospect of manufacturing and financial market disruption, sharp economic contraction and border delays.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
