British lawmakers give go-ahead for Theresa May to trigger Brexit talks [View all]

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post



By Griff Witte February 1 at 2:34 PM

LONDON — Britain’s House of Commons voted decisively Wednesday to give Prime Minister Theresa May the green light to trigger the start of the country’s exit from the European Union.

The outcome of the vote was never in doubt as lawmakers spent a second consecutive day arguing over the merits of a planned departure that bitterly divided the country in last June’s referendum.

But the margin of Wednesday evening’s roll call — 498 to 114 — gives May a convincing mandate as she prepares to launch divorce talks with the E.U. by the end of next month. Once that is done, Britain will have two years to negotiate the terms of its departure.

Wednesday’s vote was necessitated by a British Supreme Court ruling last month that Parliament, not the prime minister, should have the final say over whether Britain gets out of the E.U.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/british-lawmakers-give-theresa-may-the-go-ahead-to-trigger-brexit-talks/2017/02/01/3476cbfc-e825-11e6-903d-9b11ed7d8d2a_story.html?utm_term=.9aaa067a561b&wpisrc=al_alert-world