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May gives details on Government's Brexit plan
Finally, the Government has given some clarity on Brexit.
The United Kingdom should be ready to leave the European Union by Spring 2019, at least that's the plan unveiled by Theresa May this weekend while speaking at the Tory party conference in Birmingham.
In her speech the Prime Minister said, 'the public will soon expect to see, on the horizon, the point at which Britain does formally leave the EU'. Though not wanted to plough in without a plan, she insisted that Article 50 will be evoked when we're ready - which should be 'no later than the end of March 2017.' The announcement gave welcome clarity to everybody - though has spooked the markets, seeing the Pound fall to it's lowest level since 1985.
The pressure had been mounting on the Government to evoke Article 50, both from Eurosceptical MPs at home and other EU member state leaders, all wanting to ease the uncertainly that's been surrounding the issue of Brexit.
Theresa May also hinted a little about what Brexit actually means, and it doesn't sound pretty. She laid out that Britain will 'be a fully independent and sovereign country once again' and that 'We are not leaving the European Union only to give up immigration again. And we are not leaving only to return to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice' - so we can probably wave goodbye to any hopes of remaining in the European Single Market.
The president of the European Council, Donald Tusk welcomed the news, tweeting 'PM May's declaration brings welcome clarity on start of Brexit talks', though not everyone was so convinced.
PM May's declaration brings welcome clarity on start of Brexit talks. Once Art. 50's triggered, EU27 will engage to safeguard its interests
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) October 2, 2016
Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary argued: 'Unless Theresa May starts spelling out the government’s plan on free trade, on free movement, on budget contributions, and a host of other issues, we will have to conclude she is only interested in achieving headlines not providing solutions'.
It's the biggest political issue of our time, how to untangle ourselves from the European Union. No one ever said this would be easy, though with the Prime Minister's stance towards this issue looks like we'll be heading for a Hard Brexit.
