Brexit bill passed making way for the UK to leave EU

MPs will vote on Monday on two amendments to a Bill authorising the start of formal Brexit negotiations, a move that would clear the way for Ms May to trigger article 50 as early as Tuesday, though there were suggestions from government circles that this timetable could still be delayed.

Lords accept the Commons decision and let the bill pass on Monday night.

But International Trade Secretary Liam Fox admitted crashing out of the European Union without a Brexit deal would be “bad” for Britain and it was “not in anybody’s interest” for divorce talks, which could begin in days, to end in failure. Last November, it was ruled by the High Court that MPs must vote on triggering Article 50 before the government is allowed to do it. “If a country becomes independent it is a new state and has to negotiate with the EU”, Barroso told the BBC in 2012.

“Our EU colleagues are not reassured by a government which tells them that deportation is not going to happen but declines to convert that assurance into law; some are anxious, some are desperate, some are already making plans to leave”, the letter said.

By triggering Article 50 on March 27 the prime minister will have waited until the very end of her self-imposed deadline to inform Brussels that the United Kingdom will be leaving the EU.

“Whilst it has been badged as a meaningful vote, the reality is there are some who would seek to use this to overturn the result of the referendum”, he said.

Bill had received two amendments during its passage through the Lords, one to protect the rights of European Union nationals and the other to guarantee a final Commons vote on the deal negotiated with Brussels.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) government in Edinburgh is hoping that with independence, Scotland could maintain its close ties with the EU. “The PM is not yet elected by anyone”, she said.

Pro-EU Tory MPs must now decide whether to rebel against Mrs May.

“Speaking about possible concessions the sides could be prepared to make, he said that a constructive British attitude towards the settlement of the exit deal and acceptance of the legitimacy of its obligations could generate quite a lot of goodwill”.

Ms May could theoretically invoke Article 50, which formally starts the Brexit process, as early as Tuesday (Wednesday NZT). A Number 10 official told POLITICO: “We’ve always and repeatedly said ‘end of March'”.

“I’ve said “end” many times, but it would seem I didn’t put it in capital letters strongly enough”, he said.

Scottish voters overwhelmingly voted to remain in the European Union in June and Sturgeon wants Scotland to stay in the EU’s single market.

May immediately condemned the plan, less than three years after Scots voted by 55 percent to reject independence, saying it would be “divisive”.

Settling financial terms of an “exit bill” from the bloc, which will be left with 27 members once Britain leaves, will be the U.K.’s second major challenge, said Fitch.

Since the referendum, Sinn Fein, the largest Irish nationalist party, has regularly called for a vote that would see Northern Ireland leave the UK and re-unite with the Republic of Ireland.