BREXIT : CHALLENGED ON ALL FRONTS, BRITAIN'S MAY FACES PRESSURE OVER BREXIT LAW
British Prime Minister
Theresa May came under further pressure over her Brexit blueprint on Monday,
with members of the upper house of parliament saying there were “fundamental
flaws” in a law crucial to the departure.
The law has also
deepened splits in her Conservative Party, which has for years been divided
over Britain’s relations with the European Union.
It is yet another
battle for a weakened prime minister whose leadership is being questioned after
scandals within her party, gaffes and an ill-judged election that lost her
party its majority in parliament.
Facing calls to ax
her finance minister, who favors a gentle Brexit, and criticism over a lack of
big ideas to revive the fortunes of the Conservatives, May needs to drive
through legislation to sever ties with the EU before March next year.
The largely pro-EU
House of Lords, which will start debating the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill
on Tuesday, have made no secret of their opposition to the legislation which
they say amounts to little more than a power grab by the government.
It is designed to
put current EU legislation into British law essentially in one move, allowing
for changes later.
“We acknowledge the
scale, challenge and unprecedented nature of the task of converting existing EU
law into UK law, but as it stands this bill is constitutionally unacceptable,”
said Ann Taylor, head of the influential Constitution Committee.
“The bill grants
ministers overly-broad powers to do whatever they think is ‘appropriate’ to
correct ‘deficiencies’ in retained EU law,” the committee said in a report.
While many peers are
opposed to the legislation, the House of Lords is not expected to veto the law
after it was passed in the lower house of parliament.
But more criticism
over what even some government officials say was a hastily created bill to
“copy and paste” EU rules and regulations into British law by the time it
leaves the bloc next year underlines the size of the task facing May.
In Brussels, EU
ministers, whose unity in the negotiations has amplified the arguments in
Britain, are due to formally endorse its guidelines for a transition period
that will leave the relationship largely unchanged.
But even with both
sides mostly in agreement over the transition period bar a few questions over
citizens rights and trade agreements, May faces criticism by Brexit campaigners
for bowing to EU demands and accepting the status quo.
“GET A GRIP”
Since being
appointed prime minister shortly after the “Remain” side, which she backed,
lost a referendum on EU membership in June 2016, May’s style of leadership has
been increasingly challenged by her party, which is losing support at a time
when the opposition Labour Party is enjoying record levels of members.
Her spokesman
defended the prime minister’s record, saying she had not only won an agreement
with the EU to move onto the second phase of negotiations on future ties, she
had also boosted housebuilding, education standards and health funding.
Brexit campaigners
have aired their concerns that May is delivering a Brexit in name only, while
EU supporters accuse her of putting the party’s interests above those of the
country in the talks to end more than 40 years of membership in the bloc.
Source: Reuters
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