Brexit: Britain will not leave the E.U. next week after European leaders allow a short repriev

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Last edited Thu Mar 21, 2019, 08:58 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Washington Post

BRUSSELS — European leaders on Thursday seized control of Britain’s departure from the European Union, sparing British Prime Minister Theresa May the economic earthquake of an uncontrolled split from the European Union next week but demanding that she pass a deal or come up with an alternative by April 12.

The decision was a harsh verdict on May’s political acumen. Nearly two hours of withering cross-examination led her fellow leaders to believe she had no political strategy to pass a divorce deal nor knew how Britain would weather an uncontrolled Brexit next Friday.

May had promised the British people that Brexit would help them take back control from Europe. Instead, she found that her 27 fellow E.U. leaders took back decision-making from her, dictating a political calendar for the coming weeks that gives both sides a time to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

If British lawmakers approve a divorce deal they have twice rejected, they can leave the European Union on May 22. If they reject it, they must plan an alternative by April 12 or fall off the same no-deal cliff.



Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/britain-pleads-for-brexit-delay-as-crucial-european-summit-gets-underway/2019/03/21/824d7a4c-4b4c-11e9-8cfc-2c5d0999c21e_story.html?utm_term=.084f0ba346c2&wpisrc=al_news__alert-world--alert-national&wpmk=1

[lordsummerisle]

1. What a clusterf*ck

Last edited Thu Mar 21, 2019, 10:10 PM - Edit history (1)

this has become. Every day I wake up to yet another development on this.
When was the Brexit vote, 2016...?

[JI7]

2. what happened to the people that supported this ?

[Afromania]

7. They all slid their dirty asses out the back door. Same thing all the trump people are gonna do.

[BritVic]

3. More kicking the can down the road n/t

[Nitram]

4. I'm getting really tired of this. They should hold another referendum and vote to repeal Bexit

instead of running around in circles and getting nowhere. I think the Brits have already fully satisfied the definition of insanity. They need to try something else.

[Polybius]

9. What happens if they vote for Brexit again though?

They might just end up in the same mess.

[pampango]

12. Since Parliament has failed to deal with Brexit, a second referendum could have 3 options:

1. Remain in the EU;
2. Approve the Brexit deal May has worked out with the EU;
3. Go with a 'no-deal' Brexit and just get out without a deal.

If no option wins a majority, then have another a couple of weeks later between the 2 options that polled the highest.

Right now staying in the EU is polling at around 60% but who knows if that would be the result of a new referendum. There are going to be hard feelings no matter how this mess is resolved. After 2 34 years of discussing the pros and cons of Brexit (May's version and a 'no deal' version) and of staying in the EU, people are better informed now than in 2016. While there would be hard feelings no matter how a new referendum turned out, at least voters would know that, after seemingly endless discussion and the failure of Parliament, voters decided to either go ahead with Brexit (one version or the other) or to stay in the EU.

Brits might just 'end up in the same mess' but, if that's what they vote for, that is as it should be. If they vote to avoid the 'mess', the Brexiteers will have to live with it.

[sheepfarm]

5. Next week in Westminster is going to be chaotic

The EU has told May that if you get the withdrawal agreement passed through the House of Commons by Friday next week, we'll give you a date of May 22 to help tie up some ends between the two parties and make some preparations before the UK formally leaves the bloc. If that's not the case, then the UK is going to be chucked out the door on April 12 and be told to not let the door hit them on the arse on the way out.

The May 22 date is set because EU elections are due to take place over the next few days afterwards, and May has said that she does not want to hold such an election which the UK would be obliged to do so if it is still an EU member at that time.

The big problem is that unless she can demonstrate to the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, that a future vote on the withdrawal agreement with the EU shows a significant change compared to the previous two votes on the matter, then he'll almost likely not allow another vote on it like has has done earlier this week.

The fallout over the Brexit vote over the last three years or so has unmasked a lot of the fracture lines in the United Kingdom but in my opinion the biggest expose - not that it wasn't clear in the past - is that the actions of Theresa May since taking residence at 10 Downing Street have been far more concerned about what is good for the Conservative party more than what it is actually good for the UK as a whole. She's now at the point where even her own government ministers think she has gone raving mad in that it is her agreement or nothing. No Plan B. Telling the MPs in a public address last night that those thwarting "the will of the people" by not voting for her WA has backfired badly on her. She has few if any friends in Parliament right now. The awkward thing is that her own party rules mean they can not force her to stand down as she won a party vote of confidence back in December and this means that she cannot be subject to the same vote until December this year. A vote of no confidence in the House of Commons being passed would make her either by precedent obliged to resign or call a General Election, but if it happened that could unleash another shit show on its own - and even then there is no law or rule that states that a PM losing confidence in the Commons must step down or call an election. In other words, she is almost unflushable!

[FailureToCommunicate]

6. Two major Western powers stalled in navel gazing disarray. Putin is smiling.

[Takket]

8. i would not have been so generous....

Brexit is an opportunity for other countries to make huge economic gains by offering a haven for business wishing to work freely within the EU. I.E. the U.K.'s economic suicide is their gain.

[nitpicker]

10. Link to The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/21/mays-appeal-falls-flat-as-eu-seizes-control-of-brexit-date

[nitpicker]

11. More from The Guardian live thread

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2019/mar/22/brexit-latest-news-eu-summit-extend-delay-article-50-eu-says-uk-will-leave-in-three-weeks-with-no-deal-unless-mps-back-agreement-or-decide-plan-b-politics-live

(snip)
47m ago
08:01


EU says UK must leave in three weeks with no deal unless MPs back May or decide plan B


Good morning. If you are catching up after last night, this is what you need to know.

Theresa May went to Brussels yesterday requesting an extension of article 50 - ie, a delay in Brexit - from 29 March (next Friday) until 30 June. Her request was turned down, and instead the EU27 agreed an alternative revised Brexit schedule.

There are now three key dates in the diary.

Friday 29 March (the end of the next week): If MPs approve the withdrawal agreement by the end of next week, the EU will delay Brexit until Wednesday 22 May - the day before the European elections. This would give the UK time to pass the legislation needed for Brexit. After that, the transition would kick in, meaning UK/EU relations would in practice remain much the same until the end of 2020.

Friday 12 April (three weeks today): This is now the new effective deadline. If MPs do not pass the deal next week, Brexit will be delayed until 12 April to allow the UK to come up with “a way forward”. If the UK does agree a “plan B” acceptable to the EU, there could be a further article 50 extension. But if that does not happen, the UK will leave with no transition - ie, there will be a no-deal Brexit.

Wednesday 22 May: This is the last possible date for the UK to stay in the EU unless it agrees to participate in the European elections. But any decision about taking part in the European elections would have to be taken much earlier, which is why 12 April is the new effective deadline for a decision.
(snip)