Prime Minister May free to start Brexit negotiations after bill clears final hurdle

LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May cleared the final hurdle standing between her and the start of Brexit negotiations on Monday after Parliament passed legislation giving her the power to start the EU exit process.

Two amendments in the House of Lords that could have delayed the progress of May's bill were finally rejected by the peers after MPs in the House of Commons rejected the amendments.

A formal royal assent from Queen Elizabeth is all that stands in the way of May informing Brussels as early as Tuesday of Britain's intention to leave the European Union after 43 years.

The bill gives May the legal authority to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the procedure within the EU for a member state wishing to leave. Once the article is triggered, it kick-starts a 2-year process for negotiating a new relationship between both sides.

But beyond saying she will begin the formal process by the end of this month, May has yet to answer the question of exactly when, and end nine months of guesswork as to how her government will approach the uncharted territory of leaving the EU.

"We are now on the threshold of the most important negotiation for our country in a generation," Brexit minister David Davis said on Monday.

"We have a plan to build a Global Britain, and take advantage of its new place in the world by forging new trading links."

In the House of Commons, MPs rejected the two amendments put forward by the House of Lords, one to guarantee the rights of 3.2 million European citizens to remain in Britain (by 335 votes to 287) and the second to insist on a meaningful parliamentary vote on a final Brexit deal (lost by 331 votes against 286).

A committee of MPs was then elected to inform the Lords of their decision, calling on them to accept their vote.

Momentous step

Instead, attempts were made in the Lords to keep the two amendments, even though they knew that their stand would be overturned by MPs.

Lord Bridges, the government minister in the House of Lords for exiting the EU, told peers that the decision to leave the bloc was one of the "most momentous steps ever taken in our lifetime".

Baroness Hayter, for the main opposition Labour party, said she regretted the decision of the Commons to reject the amendments, adding that her party would not stand in the way of the decision.

She said her party would seek other ways of achieving their aim, telling EU nationals: "To the people affected, we are not giving up on you."