UK ministers see Brexit delay beyond March 29

By
Reuters
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EU and Union flags overlap during an anti-Brexit protest opposite the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, December 17, 2018. Photo: Reuters 
 

LONDON: Britain’s exit from the European Union looks increasingly likely to be delayed beyond the scheduled date of March 29 because of the backlog of legislation that needs to be passed, according to unnamed senior ministers cited by London’s Evening Standard.

“The legislative timetable is now very very tight indeed,” a senior minister told the newspaper on Friday. “Certainly, if there was defeat on Tuesday and it took some time before it got resolved, it’s hard to see how we can get all the legislation through by March 29.”

Britain is due to leave the globe’s biggest trading bloc in under 80 days but parliament looks likely to reject May’s negotiated agreement with the EU on Tuesday, increasing the possibility of a disorderly Brexit.