British lawmakers overwhelmingly back Brexit delay

[webfact]

British lawmakers overwhelmingly back Brexit delay

By Elizabeth Piper, Kylie MacLellan and William James

 

FILE PHOTO: British and EU flags flutter outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, January 15, 2019. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to seek a delay in Britain's exit from the European Union, setting the stage for Prime Minister Theresa May to renew efforts to get her divorce deal approved by parliament next week.

 

Lawmakers approved by 412 votes to 202 a motion setting out the option to ask the EU for a short delay if parliament can agree on a Brexit deal by March 20 -- or a longer delay if no deal can be agreed in time.

 

The vote makes it likely that the March 29 departure date set down in law, which May has repeatedly emphasised, is likely to be missed, although it is unclear by how long.

 

The short delay envisaged in the motion could last until June 30, but the longer extension is not currently time-limited. Either would require unanimous approval from the other 27 EU members, whose leaders meet in a summit next Thursday.

 

May hopes the threat of a long delay will push Brexit supporters in her Conservative Party and members of the Democratic Unionists, the small Northern Irish party that props up her minority government in parliament, to back her deal at the third attempt.

 

A new vote on May's deal is likely next week, when those lawmakers must decide whether to back a deal they feel does not offer a clean break from the EU, or reject it and accept that Brexit could be watered down or even thwarted by a long delay.

 

Her spokesman said ministers had agreed to "redouble their resolve" to secure a deal.

 

Earlier on Thursday, lawmakers voted by 334 to 85 against a second referendum on EU membership. Few opposition lawmakers backed the measure and even campaigners for a "People's Vote" said the time was not yet right for parliament to vote on it.

 

BREXIT DELAYED?

The government narrowly averted an attempt by lawmakers to seize the agenda on March 20 with the aim of forcing a discussion of alternative Brexit options - possibly limiting May's options when she takes her case for delay to the EU.

 

Thursday's vote does not mean a delay is guaranteed; EU consent is needed, and the default date for Britain to leave if there is no agreement is still March 29. May's spokesman said the government was still making preparations for a no-deal exit.

 

Her authority hit an all-time low this week after a series of parliamentary defeats and rebellions. But she has made clear her deal remains her priority, despite twice being overwhelmingly rejected, in January and again on Tuesday.

 

May's spokesman said earlier on Thursday that she would put that deal, struck after two-and-a-half years of talks with the EU, to another vote "if it was felt that it were worthwhile".

 

Britons voted by 52-48 percent in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU, a decision that has not only divided the main political parties but also exposed deep rifts in British society.

 

Sterling, which swung more wildly this week than at any point since 2017, fell on Thursday from nine-month highs as investors turned cautious about May's chances of getting her Brexit deal approved next week. [GBP/]

 

"SHE DIDN'T LISTEN"

U.S. President Donald Trump, who had earlier said he looked forward to negotiating a "large scale" trade deal with Britain after Brexit, added to May's headaches by criticising her handling of the crisis.

 

"I will tell you, I'm surprised at how badly it's all gone from the standpoint of a negotiation," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he met Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

 

"But I gave the prime minister my ideas on how to negotiate it and I think you would have been successful. She didn't listen to that, and that's fine. But I think it could have been negotiated in a different manner, frankly."

 

Business leaders warn that tearing up 40 years of agreements with the EU and its market of 500 million people without a transition deal would cause chaos. Brexit supporters say that, in the longer term, it would let Britain forge trade deals across the world and thrive.

 

EU leaders meeting next Thursday will consider pressing Britain to delay Brexit by at least a year, European Council President Donald Tusk said.

 

"I will appeal to the EU27 (remaining members) to be open to a long extension if the UK finds it necessary to rethink its Brexit strategy and build consensus around it," he said.

 

France said that a short Brexit delay merely to discuss May's existing deal was "out of the question".

 

But there was no immediate sign of any major shift in the views of Conservative hardline eurosceptics who have so far thwarted the prime minister.

 

Lawmaker Andrew Bridgen accused her of pursuing a "scorched earth" policy of destroying all otherBrexit options to leave lawmakers with a choice between her deal and a long delay.

 

May also needs to win over the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which has so far refused to back her plan.

 

DUP leader Arlene Foster said the party was working with the government to try to find a way of leaving the EU with a deal.

 

(Writing by Michael Holden, Giles Elgood and Guy Faulconbridge; Additional reporting by William Schomberg, Paul Sandle, Michael Holden, Andrew MacAskill and Kate Holton in LONDON, Alastair Macdonald, Alissa de Carbonnel, Francesco Guarascio and Jan Strupczewski in BRUSSELS; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Kevin Liffey)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-15

[ukrules]

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thursday's vote does not mean a delay is guaranteed; EU consent is needed, and the default date for Britain to leave if there is no agreement is still March 29.

At least one EU country promised to veto any extension to help us leave and another threatened to veto an extension if we didn't hand Gibraltar over to them ????

[CG1 Blue]

2 minutes ago, ukrules said:

At least one EU country promised to veto any extension to help us leave and another threatened to veto an extension if we didn't hand Gibraltar over to them ????

Just listening to a discussion on that - assuming you mean Hungary's Viktor Orban as the first country? They're saying he'll back down when faced with the threat of the EU cutting funding to his country. 

 

As for Gibraltar you raise a good point. What conditions might the EU or it's member states lay down in return for an extension?  Who knows! 

[AlexRich]

Trump's advice was that she should sue the EU. To a man with a hammer every problem looks like a nail. Trump is a crap negotiator, he only succeeds in situations were he has an overwhelming advantage, but when there is a balance of power he is hopeless.

 

If May's deal yet again fails to get through ... long extension and second referendum ... and no Brexit at all. 

 

 

 

[AlexRich]

24 minutes ago, ukrules said:

At least one EU country promised to veto any extension to help us leave and another threatened to veto an extension if we didn't hand Gibraltar over to them ????

Then May's deal will go through ... but the pressure brought to bear and the financial consequences for any country in the 27 playing games with this makes it highly unlikely.

 

 

[4evermaat]

What is so hard about UK negotiating a Switzerland-like pay-for-play deal to have access to the European Economic Area (EEA)?

 

Is the EU trying to encourage long-term commitment with marriage-only to the EU or no deal?

[nausea]

I get the feeling we're on the back foot. It was always a game of bluff and the EU is calling it

[Chomper Higgot]

41 minutes ago, nausea said:

I get the feeling we're on the back foot. It was always a game of bluff and the EU is calling it

Nah, the UK turned over their ‘Hard (no deal) Brexit’ card and it turned out to be a joker.

 

Look on the bright side, Parliament is at last facing down the Government’s continual efforts to rule by executive order.

 

Many thanks owed to Gina Miller and the ‘enemies of the people’.

[welovesundaysatspace]

What’s more interesting is that parliament couldn’t even agree on the Hill amendment or on another referendum. So they’re basically telling the PM to bring back deals for them to reject, and that’s why they want more time, as if they’re enjoying that circus. And May is playing the game because it keeps her in the job a few more weeks. It’s time the EU ends this wasting of time and resources and forces the UK into making decisions rather then entertaining their kicking the can further down the road. 

[TopDeadSenter]

This is totally sick. They are trying to subvert democracy. I will not stand by and see my vote tossed aside by these self serving snobs. We voted to save Britain and save Britishness. We did not vote to continue wiping out all we hold dear, in the name of some social experiment.  Luckily, our quiver is not out of arrows.

[Chomper Higgot]

5 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

This is totally sick. They are trying to subvert democracy. I will not stand by and see my vote tossed aside by these self serving snobs. We voted to save Britain and save Britishness. We did not vote to continue wiping out all we hold dear, in the name of some social experiment.  Luckily, our quiver is not out of arrows.

You voted to save the hyper wealthy from incoming EU laws preventing tax evasion.

[welovesundaysatspace]

4 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

I will not stand by and see my vote tossed aside by these self serving snobs.

 

 

[luckyluke]

A weak E. U. & U. K. 

 

U. K. for continously begging. 

 

E. U. for not definitevely say : "enough is enough, get out now" 

 

A sad constatation, for us, citizens. 

[baansgr]

Feel sorry for all the remoaners that stocked their pantries full with food  avoiding starvation because  of leaving.....maybe have to take it all down the food banks. 

[Thakkar]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Business leaders warn that tearing up 40 years of agreements with the EU and its market of 500 million people without a transition deal would cause chaos.

 

 

Cameron, in 2015:

 

David Cameron (‪@David_Cameron‬)

4/5/15, 16:26

Britain faces a simple and inescapable choice - stability and strong Government with me, or chaos with Ed Miliband: facebook.com/DavidCameronOf…

 

 

[AlexRich]

17 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Feel sorry for all the remoaners that stocked their pantries full with food  avoiding starvation because  of leaving.....maybe have to take it all down the food banks. 

 

I stocked up on popcorn.

 

[SheungWan]

2 hours ago, nausea said:

I get the feeling we're on the back foot. It was always a game of bluff and the EU is calling it

Shooting oneself in the front foot tends to put one on the back foot. 

[SheungWan]

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

This is totally sick. They are trying to subvert democracy. I will not stand by and see my vote tossed aside by these self serving snobs. We voted to save Britain and save Britishness. We did not vote to continue wiping out all we hold dear, in the name of some social experiment.  Luckily, our quiver is not out of arrows.

As soon as this pub closes.

[bartender100]

I will post this here as well, no need for FB account to open

 

https://www.facebook.com/leaveeuofficial/videos/2122550297828249/

 

 

[SheungWan]

1 hour ago, baansgr said:

Feel sorry for all the remoaners that stocked their pantries full with food  avoiding starvation because  of leaving.....maybe have to take it all down the food banks. 

Or trade it for some of the Hard Brexit celebration party balloons.

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, nausea said:

I get the feeling we're on the back foot. It was always a game of bluff and the EU is calling it

Mainly not bluff. EU simply has more to offer than UK, leaving UK with hardly anything to negotiate with from the beginning.

[Grouse]

3 hours ago, 4evermaat said:

What is so hard about UK negotiating a Switzerland-like pay-for-play deal to have access to the European Economic Area (EEA)?

 

Is the EU trying to encourage long-term commitment with marriage-only to the EU or no deal?

May has avoided any Parliamentary discussion of other options. An amendment to start such discussions next week was lost by two votes, thanks to traitorous, idiotic labour MPs. I am pleased to report that one of them is my MP. He has already had a three line bollocking from me. Idiot.

[Laughing Gravy]

3 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

why don't my friends in the UK get their assault rifles out and take back the government?

 

what are you waiting for?

It is because we are British old chap and that sort of thing generally solves little. I believe it was in the 1600s when that tactic was last used. Since then we have put our faith in democracy but as you are suggesting, it isn't working, so you may have a point.

[arithai12]

It would be disgusting if the EU approves a delay of Brexit beyond the current term of the EU Parliament (May, the month not the PM).

I hope at least some of the 27 members will resist.

 

And conversely, I cannot see how the UK is going to get their act together under the present configuration.

[Thakkar]

[rott]

2 hours ago, luckyluke said:

A weak E. U. & U. K. 

 

U. K. for continously begging. 

 

E. U. for not definitevely say : "enough is enough, get out now" 

 

A sad constatation, for us, citizens. 

Thanks for teaching me a new word, though I am not sure it is used correctly here.

[Loiner]

why don't my friends in the UK get their assault rifles out and take back the government?
 
what are you waiting for?

Only the state and criminals are allowed those in UK.
Probably get a few more yellow vests out to start with though. Govt and Remainers are hoping for more bad weather and snow this weekend.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Thakkar]

1 hour ago, SheungWan said:

Or trade it for some of the Hard Brexit celebration party balloons.

Hard Brexiters *in squeeky voices* : “sorry, were we supposed to NOT suck the air out of these balloons?”

[stevenl]

2 hours ago, luckyluke said:

A weak E. U. & U. K. 

 

U. K. for continously begging. 

 

E. U. for not definitevely say : "enough is enough, get out now" 

 

A sad constatation, for us, citizens. 

Why should the EU say 'out now'?

 

There is an agreement with term and dates, the EU has to wait till that date (unless they agree on another one :)).

[CharlieH]

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