02 February 2017•Update: 02 February 2017
By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal
LONDON
The British government published proposals for its Brexit strategy Thursday, a day after MPs moved a bill forward giving Prime Minister Theresa May the authority to start the process of leaving the European Union.
The strategy in the document outlines the government’s desire to strike an early deal during the exit talks with the EU’s 27 remaining members on the rights of EU nationals living in the U.K. and British citizens living in EU member states.
The government white paper explained in parliament by David Davis, secretary of state for exiting the EU, includes strategies set out by the May government last month, which also cover taking control of Britain’s laws, controlling immigration, ensuring free trade with European markets, securing new trade agreements with other countries, and delivering a smooth, orderly exit from the EU.
“This White Paper confirms the Prime Minister’s vision of an independent, truly global UK and an ambitious future relationship with the EU,” a government statement said.
It added: “On 17 January 2017 the Prime Minister set out the 12 principles which will guide the government in fulfilling the democratic will of the people of the United Kingdom. In this White Paper the government sets out the basis for these priorities and the approach to forging a new strategic partnership between the United Kingdom and the EU.”
Last June more than half of British voters (52 percent) opted to leave the union in a referendum pledged by former prime minister and then-Conservative Party leader David Cameron during the 2015 election campaign, ending the U.K.’s 46-year long membership.
The Article 50 bill, which was submitted to parliament after a British top court ruling saying the government must seek parliament’s approval to trigger Article 50, passed to the committee stage -- where it will be examined in detail -- after a majority of lawmakers voted in favor of it Wednesday.
The committee will go through more than 100 amendments before a final debate and vote set to be held at the House of Commons on Feb. 8.
May has set the end of March 2017 as the deadline for triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty for leaving the EU.
