Saving Brexit: Theresa May announces New Bill

Parliament to Vote on Agreement in June

Steve Muscat Azzopardi | Published on 22 May 2019

Saving Brexit Theresa May announces New Bill img

British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the issuing of a new agreement last Tuesday, just two days before the UK votes for European elections. The new bill, the details of which are set to be published on Wednesday, seeks to make amendments to the original agreement in order to win over the votes of the British Parliament.  

Amendments to the Brexit Current Agreement

In a last-ditch effort to salvage Brexit, after talks with the Labour party did not prove fruitful, May will put her final deal to a vote at the House of Commons at the beginning of June. Should the deal pass, May promised that members of Parliament would have a choice over the UK’s custom agreements, as well as would be able to vote on whether to hold another referendum concerning the UK’s departure from the EU. May also agreed to make preparations to soften the detested “backstop”.  However, with Labour Party’s Jeremy Corbyn unhappy with what he described as a ‘repackaged version’ of the same deal, the chances of the vote going through are already looking dim. 

Counting the Votes

Next month will also hold the third anniversary of the Brexit referendum.  Since then, May had attempted to pass her deal through Parliament three times – each time being rejected. The Prime Minister is also said to be facing defeat at the European elections, with Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party leading the polls.

Moreover, May stated that following the vote on the agreement, she would establish a schedule surrounding her resignation. This comes after pressure for the Prime Minister to step down, as Tory members call for another no-confidence vote in the Prime Minister. This would entail having to change Parliamentary rules, as currently another no-confidence vote cannot be held for 12 months following the previous vote. 

What’s Next for Brexit?

With May gone, Boris Johnson is looking towards replacing her role as Prime Minister.  A Pro-Brexiter, Johnson has already made clear that he is ready to leave the EU even without an agreement in place. 

Preparing for Brexit

Meanwhile, corporations and organisations are losing patience with the British Parliament, having to put off projects without a clear way forward in sight.  The re-emergence of the threat of a no-deal Brexit, should Johnson become prime minister, has cast further doubt for the future of the UK’s relationship with the European Union. Our webinars discuss such issues and explore how firms can still prepare for the impact of a post-Brexit environment and maintain relations across Europe. Click here to register and watch our webinars!


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