Brexit-Ticker archive

Following you will find a chronological collection of Brexit events since September 2019. All recent news can be found in our current Brexit-Ticker

 

25 September 2019

British Supreme Court declares Lower House recess as illegal

The British Supreme Court has declared that the forced parliamentary pause, which Prime Minister Johnson had "recommended" to Queen Elizabeth II and which the Queen then proclaimed, was illegal and thus ineffective. The recess was to last from 11 September to 14 October 2019 and was generally seen as an attempt by the government to deprive Parliament of its possibilities to influence Brexit. The eleven judges unanimously came to the conclusion that the intermission had an enormous effect on the constitutional function of Parliament and could not be comprehensibly justified by the government. The presiding judge, Lady Brenda Hale, made it clear that the break between sessions had never entered into force. After the ruling Parliament President Bercow announced that the parliament would meet again today, Wednesday.

The verdict is making waves in London. Prime Minister Johnson, currently in New York City, criticised the ruling, but said he would respect it. He called for new elections, which the opposition had denied him before the alleged session break. According to government circles, Johnson does not want to resign. Both the leader of the Scottish nationalists, Nicola Sturgeon, and Labour leader Corbyn called for Johnson's resignation. 

Even before the session break, Parliament had passed a law to force the government to apply to the European Commission for an extension before the deadline of 31 October 3019, when Great Britain, as things stand, must leave the European Union. Prime Minister Johnson had declared that he would not abide by the law. However, he has not yet explained yet, how, in his view, this can be achieved in accordance with the law.

12 September 2019

British Parliament's forced recess unlawful according to court

The Inner House of the Court of Session, Scotland's highest civil court, yesterday ruled that the forced break imposed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the House of Commons is unlawful. A group of 75 British MPs had previously brought actions before several courts, including London, Belfast and Edinburgh, against Johnson's suspension of parliament for considering it a serious infringement of its rights. 

The Outer House of the Court of Session had dismissed the action, as had other British courts before it. The Court had justified this by stating that Johnson's political decision regarding the suspension of Parliament is a matter of high policy within the government's assessment prerogatives and thus not subject to judicial review. 

The appellate court did not follow this argument. It explained that the effective parliamentary control of the government was part of the constitutional principle of "good governance". If this principle is endangered, acts of the government that are usually beyond the control of the courts may exceptionally be subject to judicial review. The decision to suspend the parliament was, in the court's view, driven by undue incentive to obstruct the parliament's scrutiny of the government and was clearly related to Johnson's plans to leave the EU on 31 October, even without an agreement. 

The legal issue must now be resolved by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will hear a number of appeals from 17 September against decisions by various courts to suspend Parliament, including the UK Government's appeal against yesterday's Court of Session ruling. The suspension of Parliament has been running from Monday night through Tuesday and is expected to last until 14 October.

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09 September 2019

Boris Johnson still wants to prevent Brexit displacement

After the law against the No-Deal-Brexit also passed the British House of Lords on Friday, it was signed by Queen Elizabeth II today and has thus come into effect. The law allows the Brexit date to be postponed again by three months unless there is a ratified withdrawal agreement with the EU by 19 October.

According to media reports, despite the law against the No-Deal-Brexit, the British government is meanwhile looking for legal ways to prevent a further postponement of the EU withdrawal until 31 October. It is not yet clear how it will succeed. The House of Commons, however, should be send into a forced parliamentary break today. It also remains to be seen whether the Government of Johnson will apply for new elections in the House of Commons today for 15 October. Last week it failed with a corresponding petition.

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05 September 2019

House of Commons passes law to prevent No-Deal-Brexit

In a third reading on Wednesday evening, members of the House of Commons voted against the government's will in favour of a law aimed at preventing unregulated Brexit. The law stipulates that the Brexit date will again be postponed by three months unless there is a ratified withdrawal agreement with the EU by 19 October. This is to put a stop to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plans to leave the EU on 31 October with or without an agreement. 

In the early hours of the morning it also became known that the government, in view of its defeat, now plans not to block the No-Deal law any further or to delay its adoption through procedure. Instead, it is to be made possible that the law passes the House of Lords on Friday evening, so that the members of the House of Commons can still deal with possible amendments on Monday and the law can finally be signed by the Queen. This would allow the law to enter into force before the Parliament's compulsory break begins. 

Whether there will be new elections in the consequence, is so far unclear. Johnson's proposal to call new elections for October 15 had failed on Wednesday evening because it failed to garner the support of the two-thirds majority in the House of Commons required for this. Opposition leader and Labour Party chief Jeremy Corbyn had announced that he would only agree to new elections if the law against the No-Deal-Brexit came into force first. It is suspected that the British government will be calling for new elections in the House of Commons on 15 October after the law is passed next Monday. In case of successful new elections, Johnson may still be able to realise his Brexit plans.

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04 September 2019

Boris Johnson loses majority in House of Commons, Brexit date open

After heated debates in the House of Commons in its first session after the summer break on Tuesday evening, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a setback for his plan to complete the UK's withdrawal, with or without an agreement, from the European Union by 31 October 2019. 

First, Tory MP Phillip Lee switched to the Liberal Democrats' benches during Johnson's speech in parliament, ending the Tories' wafer-thin absolute majority in the House of Commons. Later on Tuesday evening, 21 Tory MPs then denied the Prime Minister their support: they agreed to the opposition's motion to change the agenda for today's session of the House of Commons, paving the way for parliamentary debate on an opposition bill. The draft law stipulates that the government must apply for a new extension of Britain's withdrawal from the EU if there is no ratified withdrawal agreement with the EU by 19 October. The aim is to prevent a No-Deal Brexit. 

Contrary to the will of the government, a debate and vote on this draft is planned for today's session of the House of Commons. However, if it were to obtain the necessary majority, it would also have to pass through the House of Lords. This would have to take place before the start of the five-week parliamentary recess forced by Johnson next Monday. 

Johnson responded to these developments by announcing that he would propose new elections should the law be passed. However, he needs a two-thirds majority in the House of Commons and thus the support of the opposition. The Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has already stated that he will only vote in favour of new elections once the planned law has been passed.

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28 August 2019

Boris Johnson wants to force parliamentary recess

Johnson has asked Queen Elizabeth II to suspend the House of Commons sessions for four weeks shortly after the planned return of the Members of Parliament from the summer recess on 3 September 2019. These are only to be resumed on the occasion of the so-called "Queen's Speech" on 14 October 2019 at which the Queen will present the government programme of Johnson's government. Queen Elizabeth II has already given her consent. According to Johnson, the deputies would still have sufficient time to debate his government's Brexit policy and position themselves before the decisive EU summit on 17 and 18 October 2019. Johnson stressed that he was not interested in disempowering Parliament. Rather, the suspension of parliament - the so-called prorogation - is, according to Johnson, long overdue, as the current session is an unusually long one. 

Many members of the opposition parties regard Johnson's initiative as scandalous. It is suspected that Johnson wants to use the prorogation to prevent the opposition's planned legislative proposal to prevent a no-deal exit. Between 14 October 2019 and the UK's planned departure from the EU on 31 October 2019, there would not be enough time to debate and pass such a bill in parliament. Parliament spokesman John Bercow spoke of an "outrage against the Constitution" with reference to the planned suspension of the House of Commons meetings. The call for a no confidence vote against Johnson became louder again.

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22 August 2019

Borris Johnson in Berlin: "Wir schaffen das"

During his inaugural visit to Berlin yesterday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed optimism that the European Union and Great Britain could still agree on a withdrawal agreement. At the same time, he called again for renegotiations of the negotiated draft withdrawal agreement. As was made clear in his letter to EU Council President Donald Tusk on Monday, Johnson's central demand remains the deletion of the so-called "backstop" clause. According to this clause, the withdrawal agreement will only be allowed to expire once a solution has been found to avoid a "hard" border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Chancellor Angela Merkel signalled her willingness to work promptly - "perhaps within the next 30 days" - on a solution to the Irish question in order to make the "backstop" rule superfluous. However, she sees the UK as having a responsibility to put forward proposals. 

French President Emmanuel Macron was less willing to compromise. Before the British Prime Minister's visit to Paris today, Macron said that renegotiating the withdrawal agreement on the basis of the British proposals was not an option. French government circles have also said that a no deal brexit is now very likely. 

Both the French and German governments made it clear in the run-up to Johnson's visits that their countries were also prepared for a “hard” Brexit. As a leaked report from the British government recently made clear, the British government, on the other hand, expects a shortage of food, medicines and petrol

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01 August 2019

Boris Johnson introduces new cabinet

The new British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has announced that he will lead Britain with “no ifs or buts" out of the European Union by 31 October 2019. In his inaugural address, he expressed optimism that he would be able to reach an agreement with the European Union. Even at this late stage," Johnson said, "it is still possible to renegotiate the "unacceptable" draft of the withdrawal agreement. Nevertheless, the British government is preparing intensively for an unregulated withdrawal. Prime Minister Johnson has emphatically emphasised his new course with a comprehensive cabinet reshuffle. Approximately half of the cabinet members who served under Theresa May were replaced. Former "Brexit" minister Dominic Raab becomes new foreign minister and First Secretary of State. Former Minister of the Interior Sajid Javid becomes the new Minister of Finance. Former Development Minister Priti Patel becomes new Minister of the Interior. Three core departments are now occupied by politicians who are regarded as "Brexit hardliners". 

Following Johnson's inauguration, it became known that he had set the condition for a meeting with France's President Macron and Chancellor Merkel that they agree to renewed talks about the resignation treaty already negotiated. So far, the European Union has categorically refused to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement. Jean-Claude Juncker, the current President of the Commission, has also rejected Johnson's demands, but is prepared to "analyse any ideas expressed by the UK as to whether they are compatible with the withdrawal agreement".

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24 July 2019

Boris Johnson elected new Conservative Party Chairman

Boris Johnson, Britain's former foreign minister, was elected yesterday as the new chairman of the Conservative Party. In a domestic election, the Brexit proponent prevailed against his rival Jeremy Hunt by a clear 92,153 to 46,656 votes. Today Johnson is to be appointed Prime Minister by Queen Elizabeth II. In both offices he succeeds Theresa May. 

Johnson promised to renegotiate the resignation agreement negotiated by May's government with the EU during the campaign within the party. In view of the European Union's refusal to amend the withdrawal agreement, he has promised to withdraw from the European Union without an agreement by 31 October 2019. He confirmed this promise in a short speech after his election yesterday. The new prime minister is expected to fill many government posts and some "EU-friendly" ministers will resign. High-ranking EU representatives have already confirmed that the resignation agreement itself will not be renegotiated.

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24 June 2019

EU again rejects substantial renegotiations of the withdrawal agreement

At the EU summit on 21 June 2019, the 27 heads of state and government expressed their intention to cooperate with the new British Prime Minister in a spirit of trust. The aim is to prevent Britain from leaving the EU in a disorderly manner and to establish a future relationship with the United Kingdom that is "as close as possible". EU Council President Donald Tusk was open to adapt the declaration on the future relations between the EU and Britain, but once again ruled out any renegotiation of the withdrawal agreement. 

The election of the new Tory leader is scheduled for the end of July. Both, the current favourite Boris Johnson and his rival candidate Jeremy Hunt, have promised to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement with the EU.

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24 May 2019

May resigns - succession open

Prime Minister May announced her intention to resign from the Conservative Party on 7 June. As a result, she will also resign as Prime Minister.  She will continue in office until a successor is found.

Who will be her successor is still open. Former Foreign Minister Boris Johnson is considered a promising candidate. The new party leader will be elected by the members of the Conservative Party. A pre-selection of two candidates will take place within the Tories faction.

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22 May 2019

May announces vote on second referendum and extension of Customs Union membership in case of adoption of Brexit deal

Yesterday, Prime Minister May gave details of the content of the law on the EU withdrawal agreement, which will be put to the vote in the British House of Commons at the beginning of June. The law stipulates that the Brexit deal negotiated by the British government will be submitted to the population for a "confirmatory referendum". In a further vote, the House of Commons will also vote on extending membership of the Customs Union until the next House of Commons elections in May 2022. A new government could then decide on further membership, May said. 

According to Mays, both a second referendum and the extension of membership in the Customs Union can only take place if the British House of Commons also agrees to the negotiated Brexit deal. May hopes that her new offer will above all convince opposition Labour members to obtain the necessary majority in the end for the law on the EU's withdrawal agreement that is to be voted on.

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17 May 2019

Labour leader Corbyn declares talks with government failed

Labour leader Corbyn has declared the negotiations with Prime Minister May's government on Britain's resignation from the European Union to have failed since the end of March. The talks should explore the possibilities of a non-party consensus. The differences in content cannot be bridged, Corbyn said. The talks had been increasingly burdened by the weakness of the government.

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16 May 2019

Prime Minister May announces vote on EU withdrawal agreement law in first week of June

Prime Minister May announced Thursday evening that she would be voting on the EU withdrawal agreement law in the first week of June. A vote this week would be necessary to get the EU's withdrawal off the ground before the summer break. 

The withdrawal agreement itself has already been rejected three times by the House of Commons. John Bercow, spokesman for the House of Commons, had rejected a new vote on the withdrawal agreement for parliamentary reasons (see also the ticker message of 19 March 2019). The multiple vote on an identical motion in a parliamentary session was inadmissible. For this reason, May does not want to vote on the withdrawal agreement itself, but on the law on the EU withdrawal agreement, which has not yet been put to the vote. Its adoption should have followed the vote on the withdrawal agreement and was considered a mere formality - assuming the withdrawal agreement was adopted. Should the law on EU withdrawal be adopted, a vote on the withdrawal agreement itself would - according to the British government - be obsolete. 

May apparently continues to rely on support from at least parts of the opposition for the resignation agreement negotiated by her government. According to a government statement, talks with the Labour Party were constructive. The talks would continue in order to achieve a stable majority for the withdrawal agreement. According to observers, May is likely to focus above all on support in particular for those Labour MEPs who come from constituencies in which a majority voted for Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. With a view to the next parliamentary elections, they may feel compelled to vote for the agreement now. 

An exact date for the vote was not mentioned, but parliamentary sessions in the first week of June only take place on Tuesday (04 June), Wednesday (05 June) and Thursday (06 June).

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08 May 2019

Great Britain to take part in European elections

Britain will take part in the European Parliament elections on 23 May, UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lidington announced in London on Tuesday. The British government has therefore abandoned its original plan to ratify the withdrawal agreement before the election and thus avoid participating in the European elections (see the ticker article of 11 April 2019). Great Britain must now leave the European Union by 31 October 2019.

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06 May 2019

May ready to make concessions to the Labour Party

The two largest parties in Britain, the Conservative Party and the Labour Party, suffered heavy losses in the local elections held in England and Northern Ireland on Thursday. In 248 English counties more than 8000 seats in local councils have been completely and partially filled. Prime Minister May's Conservative Party lost 1335 seats compared to the last election in 2015. The Labour Party lost only 86 seats, but had already performed poorly in 2015. The Liberal Democrats won the election and won 704 seats. The results are generally seen as a "warning sign" for the two major parties and above all for the Tories, who have so far been unable to reach an agreement at the Brexit.

Following the elections, May offered in an open letter to Labour Party leader Corbyn to continue working together on a cross-party compromise. According to the Sunday Times, the government should be prepared to make concessions to Labour in three areas: Tariffs, workers' rights and trade in goods. According to the report, May wants to present proposals for "a temporary tariff regime" with the EU that could last until the next parliamentary election. In particular, May had so far strictly rejected remaining in the customs union. Corbyn, on the other hand, has so far called for Britain to remain permanently in the Customs Union.

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25 April 2019

No agreement between Tories and Labour in sight

Prime Minister Theresa May has so far come no closer to her goal of finding a joint Brexit solution with Labour before the European elections on 26 May 2019. The government's negotiations with the Labour opposition, which continue today, have not yet led to a breakthrough, and negotiators have dampened expectations in advance. Labour insists that the government must accept Labour's goal of a customs union with the EU for a common solution. But there has been no agreement on this so far.

It is therefore highly unlikely that Theresa May will be able to win the vote in the House of Commons she has in mind for next week. At the same time, several groups within the conservative party are forcing their demands on Theresa May to resign from her post as prime minister as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Change UK, a group of former Tory and Labour members, has been recognised as a party and admitted to the European elections. It will announce its candidates this week.

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12 April 2019

Brexit extension until 31 October 2019

British Prime Minister Theresa May today, the day after the extension of the resignation period, answered questions from members of the British Parliament. In particular, she stressed that the "flexible" deadline did not prevent the UK from resigning before 31 October 2019 if Parliament agreed to the Brexit deal. A resignation with a deal is, according to May, not only a question of trade, but also of security and is in the country's interest.

May is now continuing to look for a joint Brexit solution with the Labour Party. In her view, a solution should be found before the European elections on 23 May 2019. Should a joint approach with the Labour Party fail, May would like to take up alternative proposals from the House of Commons. Meanwhile the calls for a second referendum, which could be concluded before the European elections, are getting louder among the members of parliament.

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11 April 2019

Brexit extension until 31 October 2019

At a special summit yesterday, the European Council offered the UK an extension until 31 October 2019 of the deadline for the country to leave the European Union. The offer was accepted by Prime Minister May. The UK thus has six more months to position itself politically and legally to leave the European Union. If the UK approves the withdrawal agreement before the new deadline expires, it can also leave the European Union earlier. The agreement to extend the deadline also means that the UK is likely to participate in the European elections at the end of May. At the same time, the extension of the deadline is conditional on the British government no longer intervening in or blocking EU decisions.

May, who had previously requested an extension only until 30 June 2019, announced she would make a statement to the House of Commons today. She has already stated that she is still in favour of leaving the European Union as soon as possible with an agreement.

According to media reports, the heads of government of the remaining EU Member States were open to changing the political declaration to be made with the withdrawal agreement in the direction of closer ties to the UK. In recent weeks, it has been suggested that such closer ties could be in line with the wishes of the House of Commons. In particular, the Labour Party, with which May has recently joined forces to find a solution, advocates closer integration with the European Union.

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05 April 2019

British government requests further extension of deadline until 30 June 2019

The British government today asked the European Council to postpone Britain's withdrawal from the European Union until 30 June 2019. However, according to Prime Minister May in her letter to EU Council President Tusk, the resignation could take place earlier if the British Parliament agreed to a resignation treaty within this period. A resignation before the European elections is still planned, but preparations for the elections are being made. At a special EU summit in Brussels on Wednesday, May must now present a plan for further action. The relevant EU Council will then decide whether to agree to a further extension of the deadline.

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04 April 2019

House of Commons forces government to apply for extension of deadline if Brexit agreement does not get majority by 12 April 2019

On Wednesday evening, the British House of Commons legally obliged the government to postpone Brexit further in the event that the Brexit agreement does not obtain a majority in the House of Commons by 12 April 2019. The law, which was passed by a majority of only one vote, still needs to be approved by the House of Lords. May had already announced on Tuesday that she wanted to ask the EU to postpone the Brexit again beyond 12 April 2019.

Meanwhile, talks between the government and the opposition party continue. Jeremy Corby said yesterday that "constructive" talks had taken place. Meanwhile, British Finance Minister Philip Hammond has called for another referendum on Brexit. This was "a fully credible proposal" to confirm the conditions for EU withdrawal. His Conservative Party has so far strictly rejected a second referendum.

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03 April 2019

Prime Minister May wants to request another postponement of the Brexit and find a solution with opposition

After a long cabinet meeting yesterday, Prime Minister May announced that she wanted to ask the European Union for a further extension, as short as possible. She wants to use the extra time to work with the Labour Party to develop a resignation plan capable of winning a majority. May made it clear that the talks with the opposition should not be about the resignation treaty, but about the political declaration on future relations. A solution should therefore still be sought on the basis of the withdrawal agreement it has negotiated. 

May had also spoken to the largest opposition party so far, but her current announcements are seen as the first serious offer of talks to the opposition and thus as a political turnaround. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn is said to have already accepted the offer. May's new strategy, which until now had sought a compromise within the Conservative Party that could win a majority, is seen as a departure from the Brexit-Hardliners in her own party. The leader of the Brexit hardliners within the Tories, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has already sharply criticized May's plans. He spoke of a "deeply unsatisfactory push". 

It is now up to the European Council to decide whether to grant Britain a further extension. President-in-Office Tusk has already called for more patience with Britain.

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02 April 2019

British House of Commons unable to agree on alternative to May's Brexit deal

Yesterday evening the House of Commons voted again on alternatives to May's Brexit agreement. The vote was on a customs union with the European Union, a model with the name "Common Market 2.0", the holding of a second referendum as well as the cancellation of the Brexit, should there otherwise be a withdrawal without an agreement. None of the alternative proposals, all of which would have meant a "softer" Brexit, could achieve a majority. However, the proposal for a customs union with the European Union only narrowly missed the required majority (273 votes in favour and 276 against).

Today May's cabinet is meeting to discuss the way forward.

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29 March 2019

House of Commons rejects resignation agreement again

The British House of Commons has again rejected the resignation agreement negotiated by Prime Minister May with 344 votes against and 286 votes in favour. Immediately after the vote, Council President Tusk announced a special EU summit on 10 April. As things stand at present, Great Britain would leave the EU on 12 April without an agreement. A realistic alternative at the moment seems to be merely another postponement. For such a postponement, the EU has declared a concrete plan for further action to be a precondition. 

New test votes on possible Brexit alternatives are to take place on Monday. On Wednesday, however, none of a total of eight alternative scenarios received a majority

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29 March 2019

Third vote on Brexit agreement this afternoon – May announces resignation if her deal is accepted

The House of Commons will vote for a third time this afternoon on the Brexit agreement negotiated by Prime Minister May. The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, has permitted the vote. In London yesterday, Bercow stated that the bill was “substantially” different from the previous one. This meant that he had abandoned his doubts about a new vote on the same motion in one session of Parliament (see ticker report dated 19 March 2019). May announced that she would resign as Prime Minister if the agreement is accepted. 

This afternoon’s vote is to be on the withdrawal agreement itself only and not on the related political declaration. If the deal is accepted, the political declaration will also require the consent of the House of Commons so that the agreement as a whole can be ratified. 

On Wednesday, after withdrawing some of the government’s authority to set the agenda for the session of the House of Commons, Parliament voted on eight alternative withdrawal scenarios (No-deal Brexit; Labour’s alternative plan; Efta and EEA; Common market 2.0; Customs union; Revocation to avoid no-deal; Confirmatory public vote; Contingent preferential arrangements). None of the alternative suggestions received a majority vote.

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22 March 2019

EU heads of state and government agree on two scenarios for a postponement of the brexit

Yesterday evening, the leaders of the remaining 27 EU countries agreed to postpone Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. As EU Council President Donald Tusk announced after the end of the consultations, the heads of state and government agreed on "two scenarios". If the British House of Commons approves the resignation treaty between Great Britain and the European Union next week, Great Britain will be granted a postponement of the resignation until 22 May. If the House of Commons once again votes against the withdrawal agreement, a postponement will only be granted until 12 April. 
In the opinion of the remaining 27 EU states, if the withdrawal agreement is rejected again by 12 April, the British government must also show how it envisages relations between Great Britain and the European Union in the future. This includes the question of whether Britain intends to participate in the elections to the European Parliament in May. According to the British Government, 12 April is the last possible day to prepare for the elections to the European Parliament. According to Tusk, Britain could be granted a longer transitional period if it took part in the European elections. Tusk once again mentioned the possibility for Great Britain to unilaterally withdraw its application for resignation under Article 50 of the EU Treaty.

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21 March 2019

Merkel: Possible postponement of Brexit if Lower House vote in favour of withdrawal agreement with EU

Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel announced in her government statement before the EU summit in Brussels that the EU states could "in principle comply" with the wish of British Prime Minister Theresa May to postpone Britain's withdrawal from the EU until 30 June 2019. Regarding the postponement date, she stressed that the European elections in May should not be disregarded. In this respect, "the future and legitimacy of the European elections" had to be taken into account. But a short extension could certainly be "positively talked about". A condition for such a postponement would be that the British House of Commons vote in favour of the withdrawal agreement with the EU. If there will be no positive vote, Merkel believes that another EU summit might be necessary.

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20 March 2019

Prime Minister May calls for Brexit postponement until the end of June - EU Commission considers postponement beyond 23 May to be legally uncertain

The UK has requested a deferral of the brexit, originally scheduled for 29 March, until 30 June 2019. Prime Minister May stated this in the House of Commons at noon today. She was not prepared to delay the Brexit beyond the end of June, May said. Otherwise, Britain would be obliged to participate in the European elections. This was neither in Britain's nor the EU's interest. It also continues to seek a third vote on the Brexit agreement. This had not been approved by John Bercow, the spokesman for the House of Commons, (ticker report of 19 March 2019) on the grounds that, for legal reasons, the same draft resolution could not be voted on twice within one session. May now wants to ask the European Council to approve the amendments she negotiated with Commission President Juncker last week. The draft resolution to be submitted to the Lower House could then be amended and submitted to the Lower House for a vote again, May said.

Shortly after receipt of the written request for postponement of the Brexit, Commission President Juncker informed the British Prime Minister in a telephone call that the EU Commission did not consider it possible to postpone the decision beyond 23 May. In view of the European elections to be held in May, such a postponement would be accompanied by "serious legal and political uncertainties" for the EU. The EU Commission fears, for example, that British citizens could sue if they were denied the right to vote in the European Parliament elections from 23 to 26 May 2019, even though Britain is still officially an EU member. However, the EU Commission considers a postponement until the end of the year or beyond to be legally possible.

Whether the postponement requested by May will take place is in any case to be decided not by the EU Commission, but by the heads of government of the remaining 27 EU states. These will meet tomorrow for a meeting of the European Council and will then decide on the UK's proposal.

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19 March 2019

Theresa May's defeat: John Bercow stops third Brexit vote

The speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, ruled out a third vote on Monday on an unchanged Brexit agreement. According to a 17th-century parliamentary agreement, a motion that has already been rejected should not be put to the vote again within one session.

At the moment there is uncertainty as to how the British Government will proceed. Brexit Minister Steve Barclay said that the government was closely examining Bercov's justification and seeking a solution. John Bercow himself has shown a possible way out: The government could ask Parliament to reconsider the rule that a motion of the same wording should not be voted on more than once during a session.

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18 March 2019

EU Commission submits proposals for date of withdrawal

According to a Room Document drawn up by the General Secretariat of the Council and distributed at a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels on Friday, the General Secretary of the Council has decided that the UK should either leave the EU by 1 July 2019 or participate in the European elections. The five-page document is a guide for the member states and makes proposals for the modalities of a possible postponement of the Brexit. If the UK were to request an extension of the withdrawal period, the EU states would have to decide (unanimously) at the forthcoming EU summit on Thursday and Friday in Brussels whether such a postponement should be granted at all and how long the deadline should be extended. 

The paper makes it clear that the EU must ensure that "the institutions and processes of the EU are not blocked by the extension" in view of the European elections from 23 to 26 May. The newly elected Parliament is to meet again for the first time on 2 July. The Document Room therefore states that the extension should not be granted "beyond 1 July". If, on the other hand, the British were to apply for an extension beyond 1 July, they would also have to take part in the European elections. The paper rejected the idea, which was sometimes discussed, of an amendment to the EU Treaty with the content that exit countries would no longer have to take part in the European elections, pointing out that such an amendment to the Treaty would take too long.

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15 March 2019

British House of Commons in favour of Brexit postponement and third vote on Brexit agreement on 20 March 2019

The House of Commons has clearly voted in favour of a third vote on the Brexit agreement next Wednesday, 20 March 2019, with 412 votes in favour and 202 against. At the same time, it supports a postponement of the Brexit agreement planned for 29 March 2019, with the exact modalities of the postponement depending on next week's vote. In Prime Minister May's finally adopted motion, the House of Commons calls on the government to request a Brexit postponement to the EU until 30 June 2019, should the Brexit agreement find a majority next week. In this case, the postponement serves mainly the technical implementation of the agreement. If, on the other hand, the agreement is rejected, the government is to be instructed to request a postponement beyond 30 June 2019. 

The EU Commission has already announced that it will inquire more precisely in London about the reasons for and duration of the extension. A request for postponement of the deadline by Great Britain must be approved by all other member states on the EU side.

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13 March 2019

British House of Commons rules out No-Deal-Brexit for the future

The British House of Commons voted 321 yes to 287 no in a non-binding vote against a No-Deal-Brexit for the future.

Previously, the government had suffered another defeat. Their request was simply to exclude a no-deal brexit by 29 March. Before the vote on this request, however, one amendment was successful, according to which the no-deal brexit would be excluded beyond 29 March. After this amendment had been successful - surprisingly for some - May reintroduced the group's pressure that had been lifted before Parliament's part-session. Nevertheless, many Tories - unlike May - voted in favour of the amended proposal.

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13 March 2019

Reactions to yesterday's vote in the House of Commons – preparing for “no-deal scenario”

The House of Commons’ rejection yesterday evening of the supplemented withdrawal agreement (see our last ticker message of 12 March 2019) has been received with great skepticism by representatives of European countries and the EU. Germany’s foreign minister Heiko Maas called the decision “negligent”, while economics minister Peter Altmaier and German EU commissioner Günther Oettinger are now expecting a postponement of Brexit and see this as a last chance for the British. EU Commission President Juncker and EU Council President Tusk regretted the decision, as did the French president’s office. Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, called on all concerned to prepare for a no-deal Brexit. UK’s former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, on the other hand, said he was expecting a deal “five minutes to midnight” so that the United Kingdom could still leave on 29 March.

The House is also being harshly criticised by the press. The Daily Mail referred to it as the “House of Fools”, while the Scotsman called the MPs “idiots in the House of Commons”, and the Daily Telegraph noted a “second humiliating defeat” for Mrs May. International reactions went into the same direction: Zurich-based daily Tages-Anzeiger referred to the “Brexit chaos” and a “foreseeable disaster”, while the Belgian De Standaard regards the behaviour of the “indecisive British” as a burden on future relations between the UK and the EU. The Austrian daily Standard concluded that the only chance left was to avoid chaos.

Although a clear majority is expected to vote against a no-deal withdrawal this evening, the British government presented measures this morning on how to deal with the customs issue in a no-deal scenario. Import duties for numerous goods will be abolished and a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland will be avoided until the UK and the EU have found a permanent solution to avoid a “hard border”. According to these plans, 82 per cent of all imports from the EU will continue to be imported into the UK without customs duties, while more goods supplied from EU countries will be exempted from customs duties. The proportion of duty-free imports is to rise from 80 to 87 per cent. The remaining 13 per cent of goods protected by duties will include meat and dairy products, motor vehicles (but not individual car parts), fuels and fertilisers. The government is considering a temporary system for a period of about 12 months to prevent price increases to the detriment of consumers and to secure the supply situation.

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12 March 2019

House of Commons votes against revised Brexit agreement

The House of Commons has just voted against the revised Brexit agreement. 391 MEPs voted against the treaty, 242 in favour. Only 41 MPs have changed their minds about the treaty compared to the vote in January - far from enough. Prime Minister May has to accept another heavy defeat, although yesterday evening she was able to obtain further concessions from the EU (see first ticker announcements of 12 March 2019). Following the vote, she announced that, as originally planned, she would vote tomorrow on a withdrawal without an agreement before a postponement of the Brexit is to be debated and voted on Thursday.

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12 March 2019

Parliamentary debate begins – great skepticism among Brexit hardliners and in the DUP

The debate on the withdrawal agreement, which was amended by supplementary declarations yesterday, has been in progress in the House of Commons since 2.00 p.m. Attorney General Geoffrey Cox has just made a statement. While he reiterated his concerns about the supplementary declarations he had made in his legal opinion this morning, he called on MPs to vote for the agreement. He said the EU's concessions reduced the risk of Britain permanently remaining tied to the “backstop” and that it was now time to vote for the deal.

Shortly before that, BBC reporter Laura Kuenssberg announced that the European Research Group, a Brexiteers faction within the Conservative Party, would vote against the agreement. Tory MP William Cash has now confirmed this, commenting that after a review carried out by the European Research Group the agreement could not be approved, as the concessions did not meet the requirements set by the government. The Financial Times reports that the Northern Ireland DUP is also likely to vote against the agreement.

Prime Minister May, on the other hand, said the meeting with Conservative MPs was “sufficient”. Cabinet minister Amber Rudd also expects May to win the vote in the Commons, even if not all MPs could be convinced by last night's additions.

Brexit minister Stephen Barclay said he believed Britain would have to postpone the withdrawal even if Parliament approved the agreement. This was for technical reasons, he said.

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12 March 2019

Statement by Attorney General Geoffrey Cox

A legal opinion prepared by Attorney General Geoffrey Cox has just been published, in which he expresses skepticism about the additions concerning the "backstop": While the commitments made would reduce the risk that Britain could be held indefinitely and against its will in the Customs Union, some risks remain. Previously Cox had described rumours spread on Twitter that the additional declaration had been made against his will as "nonsense". 

Around 2 p.m. the debate in the British House of Commons about the withdrawal agreement begins. The decisive vote is scheduled for 8 p.m.. Meanwhile, DUP MP Sammy Wilson and Jacob Rees-Mogg have called for a postponement of today's vote to give MEPs more time to reflect. However, government representatives reiterated that the vote would take place today.

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12 March 2019

May asks the EU to make further concessions - Vote open tonight in British House of Commons

During her "last-minute" meeting with EU Commission President Juncker yesterday evening in Strasbourg, Prime Minister May was able to persuade the EU to make further commitments to the "backstop" rule. May and Juncker agreed on two new documents in addition to the resignation treaty itself and the accompanying political declaration. In a document, the EU assures that it will not negotiate between Britain and the EU on a permanent basis with the aim of keeping the catch-all solution on Northern Ireland permanently in force. Otherwise, Britain would be entitled to take countermeasures. By the end of 2020, both sides want to agree on a permanent agreement on the Northern Ireland border. In a second document, both sides should commit themselves to improving and accelerating the forthcoming negotiation process. May's head of cabinet Lidington spoke of "legally binding" changes. Juncker spoke of "clarifications", "legal guarantees" and a "legally binding instrument" to the Brexit agreement. According to Junckers, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has already agreed to the concessions to Britain. The additional agreements are intended to make the "backstop" superfluous, according to which Britain would remain in a customs union with the EU if no other agreement on the Northern Ireland border is reached after a transitional period. 

It remains to be seen whether yesterday's compromise will convince British MEPs. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has already called on MEPs to vote against the Brexit agreement. The Northern Irish Protestant party DUP, which supports May's government, was cautious in its initial reaction: "The documents need to be thoroughly examined. Rees-Mogg, parliamentary leader of the Brexit hardliners of the European Research Group, was also cautious. In particular, they would wait for Attorney General Geoffrey Cox's assessment and then decide. 

Should the Brexit agreement meet with (renewed) rejection today despite the amendments, a vote on a withdrawal without an agreement will be taken on Wednesday as things stand at present. If this motion does not find a majority either, a postponement of the Brexit will be discussed on Thursday.

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11 March 2019

Rejection of Brexit agreement in House of Commons has become more likely

Despite further negotiations in Brussels last weekend, Prime Minister May was unable to achieve any results with regard to improving the already agreed agreement. May has also cancelled the signing of a paper which would have set out the compromise. Nevertheless, she has just arrived in Strasbourg for a "last-minute" meeting with Commission President Juncker. 

In view of the fact that there have been no changes to the agreement so far, it is expected that the Brexit agreement will again meet with rejection on Wednesday (cf. our brief analysis in the ticker article of 26 February 2019). For example, two Brexit supporters had recently stated that they would refuse to approve an unchanged deal. According to the Times, May is being urged by the Brexit hardliners in her party to postpone the vote on Tuesday and present a new solution. According to reports, supporters of Brexit would instead like to vote on a desired version of the Brexit agreement to show the EU which version of Brexit the British Parliament would approve. However, the government has rejected this report as "speculation". 

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07 March 2019

Still no breakthrough in Brexit negotiations

Following renewed negotiations between the chief European negotiator Michel Barnier, the British Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay and the attorney general Geoffrey Cox, there is still no agreement in sight on the controversial backstop solution for Northern Ireland. According to a spokesperson for the European Commission, “very difficult discussions” and “technical talks” were planned in the course of this week. Prior to this, Barnier’s statements in newspaper interviews that he was prepared to make further concessions to the United Kingdom had led to speculation that the withdrawal agreement negotiated by Prime Minister May would be able to clear the hurdle in the House of Commons as early as next week. However, Barnier also made it clear that neither the withdrawal agreement nor a legally binding time limit for the backstop solution would be up for discussion.

Referring to Barnier’s most recent discussions with Barclay and Cox, a spokesperson for the European Commission had promised “appropriate legal assurances”, according to which the backstop would not apply permanently. The specific issue here is an additional statement that should have “legal character”. There was also recent speculation as to whether an arbitral panel could be set up in the event of disputes regarding the backstop solition. This has not, however, been confirmed yet.

Even if the dispute on the backstop solution is settled, it is assumed in Brussels that the United Kingdom will apply for a deferral of Brexit.

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01 March 2019

House of Commons approves "3-step plan" by May

The House of Commons approved Prime Minister May's "3-step plan" in a session on Wednesday. Accordingly, the following three motions will be put to the vote the week after next in the order proposed by Prime Minister May: 1. a vote on the Brexit Agreement, 2. a vote on whether Great Britain should withdraw without a deal, 3. a vote on a postponement of the Brexit (see our ticker announcement of 26 February 2019 for details of the "3-step plan"). The amendment by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, in which he demands a customs union with the EU among other things, was rejected. He had previously announced that he would probably submit a proposal for a second EU referendum on 12 March if his proposal failed.

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27 February 2019

Merkel and Macron signal willingness to delay Brexit

Federal Chancellor Merkel and President Macron have announced at a meeting in Paris on Wednesday that they would give Britain more time for parliamentary decision-making if they received a request to do so. The aim continues to be an orderly withdrawal of Great Britain. At the same time they confirmed that the agreement negotiated with the EU should not be unraveled. Macron also pointed out that there must be a clear perspective for an extension and that it must be well-founded. He referred to a statement by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier that it was time for the British to take a decision and expressed concern that postponement would not solve the problems. 

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26 February 2019

Prime Minister May intends to vote on Brexit postponement 

Prime Minister May presented her proposal for further action in a speech to the House of Commons. According to her plans, the Brexit Treaty is to be (re)voted on 12 March. Should the treaty be rejected, a further vote would be taken (again) on whether Britain should leave the EU without a deal. Subsequently, the government would like to have a vote on whether the Brexit should be postponed "for a short and limited period", whereby the duration of the postponement should be specified until 12 March. However, May has already indicated that a postponement is conceivable only until the end of June. A participation of Great Britain in the European elections is to be avoided. 

Thus on 12 March variously scenarios are conceivable. In a first step, the House of Commons will again have the opportunity to position itself on the Brexit agreement. However, the legally binding part of the already negotiated treaty should remain unchanged, and May should at best be able to present an adaptation of the political declaration to the House of Commons. As things stand at present, it is extremely unlikely that the House of Commons will now accept the treaty, which has remained unchanged in essence and which it has already rejected. The following vote on leaving the House of Commons without a "deal" seems to have been proposed by May in order to reconfirm that the House of Commons rejects a "hard" Brexit. At the same time, the Brexit hardliners would be made aware - so probably May's calculation - that their desire for a "hard" Brexit in the event that a Brexit agreement is not reached is not capable of winning a majority. The House of Commons has already rejected a "hard" Brexit once with a broad majority, on 12 March the vote is unlikely to be any different. The vote would remain on a postponement, which would in all likelihood get a majority, since otherwise a "hard" Brexit threatens, which many MPs (both in the Conservative Party and in Labour) strictly oppose. 

After May has tried for a long time to keep the Brexit hardliners of the so-called "European Research Group" happy in her party, she now seems to favour those who want to avoid a "hard" Brexit in any case. This grouping of the Tories has positioned itself more offensively in recent days. Initially, voices were heard from the party criticising the strong orientation towards the "European Research Group", which acts as a "party within the party". In a guest article for the "Daily Mail" on Saturday, Minister of Employment Amber Rudd, Minister of Economics Greg Clark and Minister of Justice David Gauke warned that a "no deal" could weaken national security, seriously damage the economy and lead to the collapse of the United Kingdom. Today the press reported that up to 15 Parliamentary State Secretaries would resign if there was no postponement of the resignation. The Prime Minister now appears to have bowed to this pressure.

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26.02.2019

Theresa May pushes back on extension of 2-year deadline

EU Council President Donald Tusk indicated at the EU-Arab League summit in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt that both he and the other 27 Member States were open to Brexit being postponed, saying that it was a “rational solution”. This statement came after confidential talks between Tusk and Prime Minister May. Calls are also increasing from the ranks of the British government for an extension of the 2-year deadline in accordance with Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union to prevent a hard Brexit. The British business association CBI has also spoken out in favour of a deadline extension.

Prime Minister May, however, was quoted as saying that postponing the UK’s withdrawal from the EU would only defer the required decision on Brexit by the House of Commons, but would not otherwise change anything. The “Telegraph”, on the other hand, reported that Theresa May was indeed considering postponing the UK’s withdrawal from the EU by two months. Without citing any sources, the newspaper reported that the government had drafted proposals, based on which the British government could formally request a postponement.

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25 February 2019

Still no progress in negotiations

After their meeting of Wednesday evening in Brussels, UK Prime Minister and Commission President Juncker released a joint statement where they confirmed the common intentions to continue exploring alternative arrangements to the most contentious part of the Withdrawal Agreement: the Irish backstop, and in particular, legal assurance about its temporary nature. It seems that the Withdrawal Agreement agreed last November would not be reopened; in fact the statement focused on potential changes to the Political Declaration which accompanies the Agreement.

If that will be enough for the members of the House of Commons is not sure yet. The amendment approved few weeks ago said it clearly that changes needed to be done to the legally binding document itself in order for several MPs to vote in favour of the May Agreement, but the Political Declaration on the future relationship is not legally binding.

In fact, next appointment before the House of Commons is scheduled for 12 March. Originally, a vote was scheduled for this Wednesday (27 February), but this date cannot be kept due to the tough negotiations. If Prime Minister May failed to get a Withdrawal Agreement through the House of Commons, there could be a request for an extension of Article 50 in order to delay Brexit or even new general election.

May and Juncker will meet again before the end of the month. In the meanwhile, the European institutions are working on the Commission’s contingency proposals in case of a no-deal Brexit. Of the 19 legislative proposals tabled by the European Commission, 7 have already been adopted while discussions are still on-going on the remaining 12. It is important to mention that these proposals are limited in scope and temporary in nature.

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15 February 2019

Prime Minister once again loses vote

UK Prime Minister failed to win parliamentary support for her strategy: yesterday (Thursday) the House of Commons voted again against her Brexit deal. This vote is not legally binding but shows the divisions still inside the Conservative Party. While, the Labour Party called on the Prime Minister to rule out the prospect of a “no deal” Brexit.

Ms May is expected to meet the European Commission President Juncker next week. Also the leader of the Labour Party is due to travel to Brussels for a meeting with the EU negotiator, Michel Barnier. 
It is not clear what kind of arguments the Prime Minister will use to break the impasse in the talks with the EU. 

Next debate and vote on the Brexit strategy is foreseen for 27 February. For the moment, the only motion that the UK lawmakers backed last 29 January consists in reopening the negotiations with the EU on the Irish backstop.

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13 February 2019

May asks lawmakers for more time for negotiations

In her speech to the British parliament yesterday, PM Teresa May asked for more time to renegotiate the Brexit agreement with the EU. She said that changes to the backstop regime, strengthening workers' rights and environmental protection could facilitate an agreement that Parliament could support. Mrs May stressed that further rejection of a deal would increase the risk of a no-deal exit, making it a national interest to vote in favour of a proposed agreement. She said that in Northern Ireland in particular the rejection of the withdrawal agreement had made people very insecure. May told MPs that on Thursday she would inform them of the next steps and make progress by the end of February, which she would put to the House of Commons for a vote.

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11 February 2019

No progress in negotiations between EU and United Kingdom

Last Thursday, EU Commission President Juncker and British Prime Minister May met for further negotiations in Brussels but failed to make any substantial progress. Commission President Juncker underlined the EU’s position that the negotiated withdrawal agreement should not be reopened. He said they could at best work on the political declaration supplementing the agreement. However, both sides agreed to continue working jointly to find solutions, above all for the backstop provision which has met with disapproval in the British parliament, and to confer on the progress of the negotiations again before the end of February.

Before the talks between May and Juncker, the President of the European Council Tusk mused about a “special place in hell” for those promoting Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out. The British leader of the opposition also gave Prime Minister May a special message for her trip to Brussels, saying that the Labour Party could consent to a deal if the UK stayed in a permanent customs union with the EU and remained tied to the EU internal market. May had already rejected this demand in a letter on Sunday.

This week, Prime Minister May will once again meet the Irish Prime Minister and representatives of the most important parties in Northern Ireland. But contrary to the original plans, there is apparently to be no vote on a “new” Brexit deal in the British House of Commons this Thursday. According to reports in the media, May intends to ask parliament for more time for further negotiations with the EU on Brexit. At the same time, she intends to make a statement in parliament on Tuesday about the current status of the negotiations. A government spokeswoman reported that a new vote is scheduled for 27 February.

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04 February 2019

Ireland rejects bilateral talks on border issues

As was announced today, the British Government has tried to start direct bilateral talks with the Irish Government on the border issue. However, according to Irish Finance Minister Pashal Donohoe, these advances have been rejected. At the same time, he was sceptical about the "technical" solutions which, according to the British Government, could avoid border controls in Ireland. On Wednesday, EU Council President Donald Tusk will coordinate further talks with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. 

Meanwhile, Chancellor Merkel stressed during her stay in Japan that an agreement was still possible. Both sides must listen to each other and be "creative". There are "certain possibilities" to preserve the unity of the internal market and at the same time to fulfil the "wish not to have any controls at the Irish border between Northern Ireland and Ireland", Merkel said, without explaining these possibilities more concretely.

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30 January 2019

Backstop renegotiation mandate, EU27 reject by return

Yesterday evening the British Parliament gave Prime Minister May a mandate to renegotiate the "Ireland question" with the EU. The British Parliament adopted an amendment to remove the controversial backstop guarantee for an open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland from the exit agreement with the EU. Previously, Prime Minister May had surprisingly backed this initiative in parliament. Moreover, only one other amendment found a majority which expresses the rejection of a withdrawal without an agreement. However, this declaration of intent is not binding. An amendment that would have made a chaotic Brexit more difficult by legally obliging the government to postpone the resignation was rejected. The same applies to a motion by opposition leader Corbyn that Parliament should consider alternatives such as a second referendum or remaining in the Customs Union in order to avoid a "hard" Brexit without agreement. 

Theresa May now wants the EU to agree to an amendment to the agreement and to replace the backstop in a legally binding manner with alternatives that are not specified in more detail. In a first reaction directly after the debate in the House of Commons, however, representatives of the European Union reaffirmed that the withdrawal agreement should not be unraveled again. A spokesman for Council President Tusk referred to the clear decision of the EU summit in December. It is expected that the Commission will again comment on Brexit at a press conference this afternoon. The vote of the British Parliament increases the risk of a disorderly Brexit.

Should renegotiations fail, the British House of Commons will again debate the further course of action on 13 February.

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26 January 2019

UK Prime Minister and MPs seek for a way through the Brexit deadlock

UK Prime Minister and MPs will spend the weekend trying to seek a way through the Brexit deadlock. A plan B is needed by February 26 and for the moment there is no concrete alternatives to May’s deal. In fact, Prime Minister still hopes to secure a majority of MPs around a revised version of her deal. 
In the meanwhile some companies confirmed that in case of a no-deal they will be forced to make some harmful decisions.

Next Tuesday evening MPs will debate and vote on a series of amendments put forward after the heavy defeat in the House of Commons of last week. Among them there is Cooper’s amendment which aims at avoiding a no-deal scenario and at creating time in the parliamentary calendar: in particular, the proposal would place a legal obligation on the Government to delay Article 50 in case a Brexit deal did not come out by February 26. The amendment has good chances of actually passing the Commons’s vote of Tuesday, also thanks to the support of the Labour party. 

From Brussels, both the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and the European Parliament’s Brexit Steering Group stated that there can be no further negotiations on the current Withdrawal Agreement.
Theresa May will most likely return to Brussels after next Tuesday’s vote.

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23 January 2019

Prime Minister warns MEPs against further delaying the Brexit decision

After numerous amendments had been tabled yesterday, Prime Minister May today warned MEPs in a statement to the House of Commons against further delaying the Brexit decision. The decision on whether there should be a hard Brexit or not must be made urgently in the coming week. 

Meanwhile, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has once again rejected a time limitation on the emergency regulation for Northern Ireland to save the Brexit deal. The question had already been sufficiently discussed. The negotiated Withdrawal Agreement was the only option.

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22 January 2019

Next Tuesdays vote on written summary of "Plan B"

Next Tuesday, members of the lower house of parliament will vote on the written summary of Prime Minister May's "Plan B", the so-called "neutral paper". It essentially summarises the position she has taken in the House of Commons (see our ticker message of 22.01.2019). The paper may not remain unchanged: Numerous amendments have already been tabled. These have the potential to give the House of Commons control over the Brexit process.

A joint motion by Labour MEPs and Conservatives to force May to request an extension of the deadline in Brussels is considered to be particularly promising - a no deal brexit would therefore be off the table for the time being. Observers assume that such a proposal could be supported by all political groups.

In addition, numerous other amendments have already been tabled, the chances of success of which are still open. A Labour Party motion seeks a vote on all the Brexit options, from remaining in the Customs Union to a new referendum. An amendment by the Conservative Party to vote on a second referendum has also been prepared but has not yet been tabled. The decision as to which amendments will be put to the vote is at the discretion of Lower House spokesman John Bercow.

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21 January 2019 

May's "Plan B" on how to proceed further

This afternoon, Prime Minister May presented her "Plan B" on how to proceed after the withdrawal agreement negotiated by her government with the EU was rejected by the House of Commons last week.

The Prime Minister's "Plan B" essentially provides that the government will continue to negotiate with all parties represented in the House of Commons with the aim of agreeing on a resignation plan capable of winning a majority. In particular, the highly controversial backstop regulation will continue to be discussed. The Prime Minister once again spoke out against a second referendum. May also again disapproved of an extension of the withdrawal period beyond 29 March. The Prime Minister also expressed the view that a no-deal brexit could not be ruled out in view of the situation.

The Prime Minister became more concrete with regard to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which is not to be touched. She also announced that the 65 pound fee for EU foreigners to reside in Britain after the Brexit would be abolished.

A spokesman for EU Council President Donald Tusk has already stated that the European Union rejects British Prime Minister Theresa May's new proposal for renegotiating the Brexit. The remaining 27 EU states had already declared in December that the withdrawal agreement negotiated with May could not be renegotiated.

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17 January 2019

May survives no-confidence vote

As expected, Theresa May survived yesterday’s no-confidence vote in the House of Commons and she immediately started cross-party talks in order to find a compromise agreement on a way forward.

The Prime Minister must return to the House of Commons next Monday (21.01.2019) with a new plan following the rejection of the Withdrawal Agreement by MPs.

A visit to Brussels is not expected before the end of next week, at the earliest. The hope is that she will be able to present to the Presidents of the European Commission and Council a new deal.

However great uncertainty remains to what will happen next: an extension of Article 50, a second referendum, a renegotiation of the Withdrawal Agreement, a no-deal …everything is still on the table.

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16 January 2019

Rejection of the Brexit deal

The House of Commons rejected the Brexit deal reached between the UK Prime Minister and the EU negotiator last November. Opposition parties, in primis the Labour and some members of the Conservative and the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Parties voted against the Withdrawal Agreement. Theresa May will face this evening a formal vote of no-confidence, and if she is defeated, there will be general election. However, the Conservative Party is expected to confirm the support to the Prime Minister in order to avoid snap election.

Since Theresa May must return to the House of Commons on Monday, in the coming days she will have talks in order to find a cross-party agreement on a way forward.  A softer Brexit, a Norway-style relationship or a second referendum have been mentioned by different political groups, but it is far from being clear what kind of compromise agreement she could reach in few days.

On the EU side, the Council President and Commission President urged the UK Government to state its intentions on next steps as soon as possible, while they confirmed that the EU’s process of ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement will continue. In fact, the option of further negotiations has been excluded by both, while a no-deal scenario is currently under consideration.

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15 January 2019

Decision on Withdrawal Agreement

Today the House of Commons will debate the draft Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration. The vote is expected at around 7 pm, London time. The Brexit deal is widely expected to be defeated.

In this case, the Prime Minister must return to the House of Commons within three sitting days with an alternative motion. However, what this alternative motion would look like is not clear yet.  

The Labour Party will most likely call for general election; while Theresa May will probably ask the EU an extension of Article 50 – which would require the unanimous consent of the remaining 27 EU Member States.

Yesterday there was an exchange of letters between Theresa May and the Presidents of the European Commission and Council. Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk offered reassurances about the Brexit deal, but they underlined that no changes to the text are possible.

The rumours that both parties are preparing for the UK withdrawal to be extended beyond the deadline, March 29, are becoming stronger.

On the contrary, if the House of Commons backs the deal, the file goes to the House of Lords, where there will be no vote but only a debate. Then the UK ratification process is complete.

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