UK preparing legislation to trigger Brexit - Sky News

LONDON: The British government is preparing legislation to trigger the procedure to leave the EU, Sky News reported on Monday, despite Prime Minister Theresa May saying she is confident of overturning a court decision that may delay Brexit.

May’s plans to start the formal divorce procedure from the European Union by the end of March were dealt a blow last week when England’s High Court ruled that her government must seek parliamentary approval for triggering Article 50.

The prime minister is determined to carry out what she calls “the will of the people” and her aides have declined to comment on whether ministers are making contingency plans after the ruling, saying only that they are confident of winning an appeal.

Sky News quoted sources as saying the government was preparing a bill — legislation that will have to be considered in both houses of parliament in what could be a lengthy process.

A spokeswoman for May did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

May will call a general election if MPs and peers vote down legislation to trigger Brexit, Jeremy Hunt has suggested, as he became the first Cabinet minister to discuss openly the prospect of an early poll.

Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, on Sunday said for the first time that he would instruct his MPs to vote against triggering Article 50 unless the UK is guaranteed access to the single market.

But hours later his deputy, Tom Watson, insisted there were no conditions to Labour agreeing to the start of negotiations, prompting claims that Corbyn had “let the cat out of the bag” about his plans.

Hunt, however, warned that any attempts to frustrate ay’s Brexit plans could result in an early election. He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “A general election is frankly the last thing that the Government wants. Theresa May wants to get on with the job, and frankly it’s the last thing that the British people want, with all these very, very important national decisions. “And I think, because of that, it is highly unlikely that Parliament would not in the end back a decision to trigger Article 50.” The remarks were backed up by other ministers and Tory MPs who said Mr Hunt was accepting that Mrs May would have to use the “nuclear option” of an election if Parliament blocked the start of talks about Britain leaving the European Union. The news came as the Prime Minister said that freedom of movement, rather than access to the EU single market will be a government priority in the Brexit talks. On a trade trip to India — her first bilateral visit outside of the EU — Mrs May also said she believes the Government has a “strong case” for overturning

last week’s High Court ruling that Parliament must have a say on when Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is triggered. However, ministers privately fear that they are likely to lose a Supreme Court appeal against the High Court ruling next month. Since the High Court decision, there have been several suggestions that Mrs May will need to call an early general election if both the Commons and the Lords — which are overwhelmingly dominated by MPs and peers who want Britain to stay in the European Union — attempt to frustrate her plans for Brexit. The Daily Telegraph disclosed on Saturday that ministers were now openly discussing a general election next year, despite an insistence from Mrs May that she will continue to govern until 2020. In a weekend of confusion, Mr Corbyn said on Saturday that the UK must have continued access to the single market and there must be no watering down of workers’ rights before Labour would back the process. Other “bottom lines” included guarantees on safeguarding consumers and the environment and pledges for more government spending. But on Sunday he was forced to backtrack and clarify Labour “won’t block Article 50 but will fight for a Brexit that works for Britain”. The reversal came as Tom Watson, his deputy, who said he had not spoken to Mr Corbyn, insisted that “the people have spoken and Article 50 will be triggered when it gets to Westminster”. A government source told The Daily Telegraph: “Corbyn has let the cat out of the bag: Labour will look for any excuse to delay and frustrate the will of the British people.” Mr Corbyn insisted Labour was ready to fight the Tories at the polls. He said: “If the Government calls an election, we’re ready for it.” After raising the prospect of a general election, Mr Hunt also warned that the British economy was at risk if Mrs May were forced into setting out the case for Brexit too early. He said: “The impact on the economy will be far worse if through some parliamentary mechanisms Theresa May is forced to lay out her entire negotiating strategy.”

— Agencies