Brexit
this week
The House of
Commons voted 412 to 202 to approve a motion to seek to extend the Article
50 period. This extension will be until 30 June 2019 if the Brexit Deal is
approved by 20 March 2019. If a deal is not approved, the length of the
extension will depend on its purpose (more detailed information below).
This was the third consecutive day of Brexit
debates and votes in the Commons this week. On Tuesday 12th March, MPs rejected
the Government's Brexit deal for the second time in a “meaningful vote” and
Wednesday 13th March saw MPs vote to reject a “no deal” Brexit.
Thursday's debate focused on pursuing an extension of the
Article 50 period. Article 50 of the 2009 Lisbon Treaty sets out how a member
state leaves the European Union, with a two-year period between the member
state "triggering" the Article and the day that the state leaves the
Union.
The UK Government triggered Article 50 on 29 March 2017 so is due
to leave the European Union on 29 March 2019. If the Article 50 period is
extended, the UK would remain a member of the European Union during this period.
By 20th March 2019 or else...
MPs debated a motion in the name of the Prime Minister:
“That this House:
(1) notes the resolutions of the House of 12 and 13 March, and
accordingly agrees that the Government will seek to agree with the European
Union an extension of the period specified in Article 50(3);
(2) agrees that, if the House has passed a resolution approving
the negotiated withdrawal agreement and the framework for the future
relationship for the purposes of section 13(1)(b) of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018 by 20 March 2019, then the Government will seek to agree
with the European Union a one-off extension of the period specified in Article
50(3) for a period ending on 30 June 2019 for the purpose of passing the
necessary EU exit legislation; and
(3) notes
that, if the House has not passed a resolution approving the negotiated
withdrawal agreement and the framework for the future relationship for the
purposes of section 13(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 by 20 March 2019, then it is highly
likely that the European Council at its meeting the following day would require
a clear purpose for any extension, not least to determine its length, and that
any extension beyond 30 June 2019 would require the United Kingdom to hold
European Parliament elections in May 2019.
MPs from across the House tabled amendments to this motion, four
of which were selected but none were successful in winning the approval of the
House of Commons.”
Saturday 16th March 2019
Jorge Emilio Núñez
Twitter: @London1701
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