The UK Parliament has by law secured a say in London’s request for a renewed Brexit extension. The controversial law was only passed with changes in the upper house. The lower house then accepted the changes – and the Queen agreed.
During the night, the government submitted an application to ask the other 27 Member States to extend the deadline until 30 June. The lower house is expected to debate the motion this Tuesday, and the deputies may propose another date. The purpose of the law is to prevent a departure of the British from the EU without Brexit agreement this Friday.
Whether it changes anything is unclear – because Prime Minister Theresa May wanted anyway at the EU Special Summit this Wednesday to approve for June 30 as a new deadline. The government had rejected the bill submitted by Labor MP Yvette Cooper as unnecessary. Last week, the House of Commons had nevertheless approved with a single vote majority.
Government criticizes law as a „big botch“
Accordingly, the government responded after the polls in the evening. „This is a big botch,“ said Government Representative Andrea Leadsom. The government had previously criticized that the law would restrict its scope in negotiations with the EU.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister May will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) first in Berlin and then French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
