British leader says Brexit process to begin by March with demand for a clean break

[singermelodie1]

LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May said Sunday that her country would begin the process of withdrawing from the European Union by the end of March and suggested that she would seek a clean break that makes limits on immigration a priority. 

The announcement eased the anxieties of Brexit backers, who had feared that May might delay the start of Britain’s withdrawal by a year or more and that she would seek only modest changes in her country’s relationship with the 27 remaining members of the bloc. 

It disheartened Europhiles who had hoped that the country’s exit might somehow be avoided altogether.

May’s comments — first to the BBC in a Sunday morning interview and later in the opening speech of the Conservative Party’s annual conference — were the most specific she has given to date on her plans for Britain’s post-E.U. future. 

The country voted in June to leave the bloc, 52 percent to 48. Previously she had said only that the country would not trigger Article 50, the never-before-used mechanism for an E.U. exit, this year. 

The early 2017 timetable is roughly in line with what European leaders who have met with May have said they expected. 

But some British advocates for sticking with the E.U. had suggested that the process should be put on hold until after France and Germany — the two most important European voices in the negotiations to come â€” have held national elections slated for next year.

May on Sunday firmly rejected those calls, a decision that was praised by E.U. leaders, who are pressing Britain to get on with its departure. European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted that May’s words had brought “welcome clarity.â€

Even after Britain triggers Article 50, it will remain an E.U. member for some time. The rules call for a two-year negotiation on the withdrawal terms, although that time limit could be extended if all sides agree. 

If Britain does leave two years after triggering Article 50, a departure in spring 2019 could allow May to claim victory on her oft-repeated pledge that “Brexit means Brexit†with a year to go before scheduled national elections.

May again refrained Sunday from saying exactly what she will ask for in her negotiations with Europe, insisting that she won’t give “a running commentary†on British bargaining. 

 She also rejected the idea that Britain must choose between “hard Brexit†and “soft Brexit,†saying it’s a “false dichotomy†to suggest that Britain must decide between “some form of continued E.U. membership and . . . a conscious decision to reject trade with Europe.†

But European leaders have said that is exactly the choice Britain faces, with one after the next arguing that Britain will not be allowed to retain the trade benefits of E.U. membership without accepting the rights of E.U. citizens to move freely across national borders.

May left no doubt Sunday that she will not accept that free-movement principle, saying that voters had made clear that they want reduced immigration. She was far less resolute in defending Britain’s single-market membership, and she specifically ruled out a Norwegian-style arrangement that grants trade benefits in exchange for acceptance of the free movement of workers.

“The process we are about to begin is not about negotiating all of our sovereignty away again,†she said. “It is not going to be about any of those matters over which the country has just voted to regain control. It is not, therefore, a negotiation to establish a relationship anything like the one we have had for the last 40 years or more.â€

Leading Brexit advocates cheered May’s announcements. Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith, a longtime Brexit proponent, told Sky News that he hoped her stand would signal that Britain was moving “quickly to the exit door and out.â€

But those who had backed “remain†in the referendum took the prime minister’s words as further indication that Brexit is unavoidable and that it will bring a shock to the British economy. 

Anna Soubry, a former Conservative minister, said triggering Article 50 by next spring is too soon. The timeline “really concerns me, troubles me hugely, because we won’t have had the French elections, we won’t have had the German elections, and, I’m sorry, it is going to take a lot of time and effort to disentangle ourselves and get the right deal,†she told Britain’s ITV.

May herself backed the “remain†campaign in the referendum. But after Prime Minister David Cameron resigned, she quickly pivoted and ran to succeed him on a platform of implementing the voters’ will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/british-prime-minister-says-brexit-process-to-begin-by-march/2016/10/02/b5f57796-8682-11e6-b57d-dd49277af02f_story.html

[BubbleGumPop]

You British ppl fked up, hopefully we ,the former colonies, don't fuck up that bad and elect orange Hitler

[Kim Hyolyn]

Inb4 all the uneducated non British people start telling us how much we "fucked up". They don't know anything about the EU or Brexti but somehow we still "fucked up" according to them.

[South Club]

I hope EU makes sure the limits is for the four freedoms and not only the one UK dont want aka immigration.

[SlayingSeohyun]

It presents so many exciting opportunities. Finally, for the first time in over 40 years we are on our way to becoming an independent, fully sovereign nation that can go out into the world and control its own destiny. 

[jjaetaes]

I wonder what will happen to all the people from UK who work in the rest of EU. And I wonder what will happen with Northern Ireland and Scotland (the latest felt quite cheated after the Brexit). Meh. Everyone is going to lose in some way or another. This is a mess. Also, letting xenophobia drive your political decisions isn't really the wisest choice. 

[BigManSam]

We should go full psycho colonial Britain and threaten to distablise the MENA region if we don't get what we want.

[superELFjewel]

Britain survived with out the EU before and it will continue to survive without being in the EU

 

the best choice the British folk ever made was to jump on the 1st Lifeboat and sail away from the sinking ship that is the EU

this being said i don't trust a single word that comes out of any politicians mouth so i will believe this when i see it..