Brexit debacle a ‘Shakespeare tragedy’
Print Edition
BRITISH Prime Minister Theresa May said yesterday that she will try to break the deadlock over her Brexit deal by seeking further concessions from the European Union on a backup plan to avoid a hard border in Ireland.
With just over two months until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union on March 29, there is no agreement in London on how and even whether it should leave the world’s biggest trading bloc.
After her Brexit divorce deal was rejected by 432 lawmakers last week, May has been searching for a way to get a deal through parliament.
May said she could not take a no-deal Brexit off the table as there was not yet an alternative, and the EU would not be likely to extend Article 50 without a plan to secure parliament’s approval.
“So when people say ‘Rule out no-deal,’ the consequences of what they are actually saying are that, if we in parliament can’t approve a deal, we should revoke Article 50,” May said. “I believe this would go against the referendum result.”
She said another referendum would strengthen the hand of those seeking to break up the UK.
May vowed to be “more flexible” with lawmakers in trying to agree changes to the Northern Irish backstop, an insurance policy to ensure there will be no return to border checks between the British province and Ireland.
“I will then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU,” May said. “My focus continues to be on what is needed to secure the support of this House in favor of a Brexit deal with the EU.”
German Europe Minister Michael Roth said yesterday that even William Shakespeare would not have been able to think up a Brexit tragedy of such drama.
The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said the bloc was ready to work on the political declaration on future EU-UK ties that accompanies the binding Brexit withdrawal deal, but that the withdrawal deal already agreed was the best one possible.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
