NEW YORK, NY – British Prime Minister Theresa May announced tweaks to her much-maligned Brexit deal on Monday, in the hope of winning over lawmakers who overwhelmingly rejected her proposals last week.
In what is being described as an attempt to pull the U.K. toward a “softer” Brexit, several amendments are expected to be attached to May’s plan. The amendments are also being characterized as an attempt by some lawmakers to take control of the Brexit process away from the government.
Two amendments are expected to be tabled by Conservative Party lawmaker Dominic Grieve which will include a request for a second referendum and putting a pause on Article 50. Article 50 is the two-year countdown to Brexit that May activated in March 2017. Any extension would require the permission of the 27 remaining EU countries.
Another amendment, jointly sponsored by Labour’s Yvette Cooper and the Conservative Party’s Nick Boles, seeks to delay Article 50 until the end of 2019.
Labour lawmaker Frank Field is also reported to be considering amendment which would allow MPs to vote on a raft of different Brexit scenarios.
As things stand, the legal default is that the United Kingdom will leave the EU in 68 days on March 29, 2019 with no agreed deal on trade, laws or travel.
That scenario would particularly alarm business leaders and trade union representatives who May is due to meet with later this week.
or a specific category with our 