Theresa May, waiting for Donald Trump to Chequers, northwest of London, 13 July 2018 (Photo Brendan Smialowski. AFP)
The First british minister Theresa May has avoided Tuesday narrowly defeated that would have been serious consequences, and with the rejection in Parliament of an amendment contrary to its objectives on the Brexit, defended by the rebels pro-EU than its conservative camp.
This amendment “18” to the draft law on the commercial relations after the Brexit (“Trade Bill”) provided that in the absence of an agreement with the EU on creating a free trade area for goods, one of the objectives set by Theresa May, the government would have been forced to stay in a customs union, which goes against his plans.
Introduced by rebels pro-EU conservative party, the amendment had the support of members of the labour opposition, an alliance, reflecting the divisions which have agitated the political class british on the question of the output of the european Union.
The government came close to disaster, and the clause having been rejected by 307 votes to 301. This question evacuated, the draft law on trade relations was adopted in the wake by 317 votes to 286, and now needs to be examined by the Lords, the upper chamber of the british Parliament.
This text aims to put in place a regulatory framework to facilitate the conversion of EU trade agreements in bilateral agreements between the United Kingdom and third countries. Concretely, it should help to avoid any legal vacuum at the day of the Brexit, the United Kingdom regaining its full powers in commercial matters, so far as delegates to the EU.
The debate on the amendment, “18” have given rise to exchanges particularly tense between the conservatives. According to a journalist of Sky News, and a labour mp, the tories pro-european were the subject of “threats” made by the “Whips”, the deputies in charge of discipline within the parties.
The rebels are pro-EU have, nevertheless, recorded a victory symbolic, with the adoption of an amendment calling for a continuation in the european Network of medicines regulatory.
– Parliament “paralyzed” –
The pro-european were especially enhanced after the adoption on Monday of a draft law related to the Brexit, on the organization of the customs, voted for the price concessions granted to the supporters of a divorce without a concession.
The conditions under which the government’s Theresa May has put these two texts illustrate the difficulties of the First minister to unite his party behind his “plan of Chequers”, a proposal aimed at maintaining a business relationship closely with the EU after Brexit.
Perceived by the supporters of “Brexit” hard as a derailing of the referendum which decided on the exit from the EU in June 2016, the project, details of which were unveiled last week, has led to the resignations terrible of the ministers of foreign Affairs, Boris Johnson, and the Brexit, David Davis, followed by other defections.
And while some mps pro-EU seemed ready to accept this plan, the concessions made Monday to the eurosceptics have caused a change of mood. “I started the week with the intent of supporting the First minister. But everything has changed (Monday),” said the conservative mp Phillip Lee.
Given that the parliament is “paralysed” on the procedure to follow to a little more than eight months of Brexit, “the only way to resolve the situation, it is relying on the people” and organize a new referendum, said the former Prime minister, labour’s Tony Blair, in an interview with the AFP.
“Since the Brexit was started by a referendum, it can only be completed by a new vote,” he insisted.
The idea of a new consultation was also received on Monday the support of former Education minister Justine Greening, the first conservative member for this level and position.
