Brexit plan b voting

Theresa May has refused to guarantee MPs will get a vote on the final Brexit deal to be thrashed out with the 27 EU leaders. The Prime Minister was repeatedly asked whether the deal would be put to Parliament, as it will to the European Parliament, in her "end of term" appearance in front of the Liaison Committee. The furthest Mrs May would go was to say that Parliament would have "ample opportunity to comment on and discuss the aspects of the arrangements that we are putting in place". :: As It Happened: MPs may not get vote on Brexit plan Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Sturgeon: Everything about Brexit is difficult When pushed by the chairman of the committee, Andrew Tyrie, to answer yes or no on a final deal vote for MPs, the Prime Minister simply said: "The answer I gave is the answer I gave". Advertisement She added: "There seems to be this idea that somehow we are not letting Parliament do … [Read more...] about Theresa May refuses to guarantee MPs a vote on final Brexit plan

TONY Blair today hit out at Labour's Brexit fudge and suggested voters should back the Lib Dems or Change UK instead. The ex-PM insisted Jeremy Corbyn's half-in, half-out compromise position would fail because Brits on both sides of the Brexit divide reject it. Mr Blair, who backs a second referendum, said he still plans to vote Labour in the European elections on May 23. But in a message to fellow Europhiles annoyed with Mr Corbyn's flip-flopping on Brexit, he added that rather than staying away from the polls they should vote for a smaller party. He told Sky News: "Don't stay at home, go and vote for one of the avowedly Remain parties. "It's not so much the seats, it's the percentage of votes - so that anti-Brexit side of the ledger is stronger than the Farage side of the ledger."And he praised the breakaway Change UK party, saying: "I talk to the people who are in Change UK a lot. A lot of what they say I sympathise with." The former Labour leader insisted there is no "compromise … [Read more...] about Labour’s Brexit fudge is ‘destructive’ and voters should consider other parties, Tony Blair claims in anti-Corbyn tirade

David Cameron’s plan for a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union leaves the UK’s EU status more precarious that at any point for 40 years. But what do continental powers feel about the possibility of Brexit – a British EU exit? Five prominent writers from leading European newspapers in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland reflect the view from their country. Germany The German government is by now well used to the fact that the big questions of Europe will, sooner or later, end up in Angela Merkel’s in-tray. Euro crisis, Grexit, Russia-Ukraine … Germany attracts these problems like a magnet. That’s what you get when you’re the first among equals. Not that the German authorities are always happy about it. So it is that even on the subject of the British referendum, all eyes are once again turning to Germany. Britain and the other EU members are waiting for a signal: how ready is Berlin to meet David Cameron halfway? … [Read more...] about What Britain in the EU means to us: five leading European writers on the threat of Brexit

Celebrity cook Delia Smith, musician Bob Geldof and comedian Eddie Izzard were among the famous faces calling for a fresh referendum at an anti-Brexit protest. Lord of the Rings actor Andy Serkis, Crazy Rich Asians actress Gemma Chan and Veep creator Armando Iannucci also joined the People's Vote march through central London. Smith was dressed in a hoodie reading "Let's be havin' EU", while Izzard wore a navy suit and waved Union Jack and EU flags. Other pro-EU celebs in the estimated crowd of 600,000 were former Blue Peter presenter Richard Bacon, Dragons' Den businesswoman Deborah Meaden, The Thick of It actor Chris Addison, actress Natascha McElhone and actor David Schneider. Organisers claim more than half a million people marched from Park Lane to a rally in Parliament Square on Saturday afternoon. Smith and Meaden were among the speakers at the event, along with London Mayor Sadiq Khan as dozens of famous faces threw their weight behind the bid for a second Brexit … [Read more...] about People’s Vote march: Delia Smith, Bob Geldof and Eddie Izzard among celebs leading calls for new referendum

A major accountancy firm will temporarily stop bidding for contracts to try to mend relations with the Government following a row over a Brexit memo, according to reports. Deloitte said it had "put forward a plan" for working with Number 10 that was intended to "put this matter behind us". This includes a six-month moratorium on pitching for lucrative Government work, The Times reported. The memo, prepared by the firm last month and seen by Sky News, warned Cabinet splits were delaying the Government's ability to agree a negotiating strategy , which may not be ready for six months. :: Five things the leaked Brexit memo tells us Advertisement Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player PM won't guarantee Parliament a final vote on Brexit plan Prime Minister Theresa May's deadline for triggering Article 50 - the formal process for leaving the European Union - is the end of March. Deloitte identified "well … [Read more...] about Deloitte ‘won’t bid for Government contracts’ after Brexit memo row