British Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s Conservatives secured a landmark victory in a parliamentary by-election on Friday, boosting her hand ahead of upcoming Brexit negotiations as her rivals suffered damaging poll setbacks.

The Conservatives captured the north western region of Copeland that Labour have held since 1935, the first by-election gain for a governing party for 35 years and a result which piles pressure on the opposition&#39;s under-fire socialist leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

Meanwhile in the central English seat of Stoke-on-Trent, Paul Nuttall, leader of the populist anti-EU UK Independence Party, failed to overturn a Labour majority despite almost 70 per cent of the city&#39;s voters backing leaving the bloc at last year&#39;s referendum, casting doubt on his future too.

The two results point to May&#39;s tightening grip on political power following the Brexit vote, and will be used as evidence that her strategy of pursuing a clean break with the EU has stemmed rising right-wing populism without denting her ability to take votes from an increasingly left-wing Labour Party.

Although Labour avoided the worst-case scenario of two defeats, Corbyn is likely to face renewed criticism.

Many lawmakers worry his leadership is damaging their fight for a &quot;softer&quot; Brexit, with closer ties to the EU&#39;s single market, while his leftist agenda is making the party unelectable before a 2020 national election.

&quot;The simple truth of the matter is seven years into opposition the Labour Party is going backwards, not going forwards,&quot; academic and polling expert Michael Thrasher told Sky News. &quot;Their vote share is falling in by-elections where they should be causing the Conservatives problems, and they&#39;re not.&quot;

Despite long-running unrest within the upper ranks of his party, Corbyn is unlikely to face a fresh leadership challenge because he retains strong support among the grassroots Labour members who re-elected him last year after a botched coup.

&quot;To win power to rebuild and transform Britain, Labour will go further to reconnect with voters, and break with the failed political consensus,&quot; Corbyn said in a statement after the result.

&nbsp;

UKIP Stutter

In Stoke, UKIP were unable to capitalise on the anti-establishment sentiment it tapped so successfully when persuading voters to leave the EU last year, despite pouring resources into a campaign waged on fertile Brexit territory.

The party&#39;s former leader and best-known figure Nigel Farage had warned last week the Stoke vote was vital for the future of the party, beset by in-fighting since the Brexit vote.

&quot;UKIP&#39;s time will come ... there&#39;s a lot more to come from us, we&#39;re not going anywhere, I&#39;m not going anywhere,&quot; Nuttall told reporters after the result.

A campaign dogged by personal gaffes risks reigniting feuding within the party, which has struggled to break into mainstream politics despite playing a pivotal role in forcing the government to call an EU referendum and the subsequent campaign to leave the bloc.

&quot;If you want to be an electoral force and a political force in this country you have to be able to win by-elections in difficult circumstances as a third party,&quot; Rob Ford, a politics professor from Manchester University and an expert on UKIP, told Reuters

&quot;If they can&#39;t do that even in the most propitious of seats people will start to have questions.&quot;

(Reuters)

The Conservatives captured a region that Labour have held since 1935, the first by-election gain for a governing party for 35 years

British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives secured a landmark victory in a parliamentary by-election on Friday, boosting her hand ahead of upcoming Brexit negotiations as her rivals suffered damaging poll setbacks. The Conservatives captured the north western region of Copeland that Labour have held since 1935, the first by-election gain for a governing party for 35 years and a result which piles pressure on the opposition's under-fire socialist leader, Jeremy Corbyn. Meanwhile in the central English seat of Stoke-on-Trent, Paul Nuttall, leader of the populist anti-EU UK Independence Party, failed to overturn a Labour majority despite almost 70 per cent of the city's voters backing leaving the bloc at last year's referendum, casting doubt on his future too. The two results point to May's tightening grip on political power following the Brexit vote, and will be used as evidence that her strategy of pursuing a clean break with the EU has stemmed rising right-wing populism without denting her ability to take votes from an increasingly left-wing Labour Party. Although Labour avoided the worst-case scenario of two defeats, Corbyn is likely to face renewed criticism. Many lawmakers worry his leadership is damaging their fight for a "softer" Brexit, with closer ties to the EU's single market, while his leftist agenda is making the party unelectable before a 2020 national election. "The simple truth of the matter is seven years into opposition the Labour Party is going backwards, not going forwards," academic and polling expert Michael Thrasher told Sky News. "Their vote share is falling in by-elections where they should be causing the Conservatives problems, and they're not." Despite long-running unrest within the upper ranks of his party, Corbyn is unlikely to face a fresh leadership challenge because he retains strong support among the grassroots Labour members who re-elected him last year after a botched coup. "To win power to rebuild and transform Britain, Labour will go further to reconnect with voters, and break with the failed political consensus," Corbyn said in a statement after the result. UKIP Stutter In Stoke, UKIP were unable to capitalise on the anti-establishment sentiment it tapped so successfully when persuading voters to leave the EU last year, despite pouring resources into a campaign waged on fertile Brexit territory. The party's former leader and best-known figure Nigel Farage had warned last week the Stoke vote was vital for the future of the party, beset by in-fighting since the Brexit vote. "UKIP's time will come ... there's a lot more to come from us, we're not going anywhere, I'm not going anywhere," Nuttall told reporters after the result. A campaign dogged by personal gaffes risks reigniting feuding within the party, which has struggled to break into mainstream politics despite playing a pivotal role in forcing the government to call an EU referendum and the subsequent campaign to leave the bloc. "If you want to be an electoral force and a political force in this country you have to be able to win by-elections in difficult circumstances as a third party," Rob Ford, a politics professor from Manchester University and an expert on UKIP, told Reuters "If they can't do that even in the most propitious of seats people will start to have questions." (Reuters)

UK May's Conservatives gain parliamentary seat as rivals suffer election setbacks

HSBC Holdings reported a 62 percent slump in annual pre-tax profit that fell way short of analysts&#39; estimates due to one-time charges related to some businesses, and announced a new $1 billion share buy-back.

Europe&#39;s biggest bank by assets said on Tuesday profit before tax for 2016 fell to $7.1 billion from $18.87 billion in the previous year. That compared with the average analyst estimate of $14.4 billion, according to Thomson Reuters data.

The 2016 profit reflected a $3.2 billion impairment of goodwill in its global private banking business in Europe and the impact of its sale of operations in Brazil, the bank said in a statement to the stock exchanges.

The private banking impairment charges mainly relate to its acquisition of Safra Republic Holdings in 1999, it said, without giving details.

&quot;We have considered it appropriate to write off the remaining goodwill in the European private banking business,&quot; it said, adding the restructuring of global private banking is now largely complete.

The $1 billion share buy-back takes HSBC&#39;s announced buy-backs since the second half of 2016 to $3.5 billion following the bank&#39;s disposal of its Brazil unit in July last year in a $5.2 billion deal.

&quot;We are investing over $2 billion in digital transformation initiatives to improve our offer to customers, and are instigating a further $1 billion buy-back programme reflecting the strength and flexibility of our balance sheet,&quot; Stuart Gulliver, group chief executive, said in a statement.

HSBC&#39;s shares have been among the best-performing European bank stocks since Britain voted in June to leave the European Union, climbing 53 per cent against a 28 per cent increase in the STOXX Europe index of 600 banks as the bank benefited from appreciation of the US dollar and stronger capital levels.

The British bank, which has said it may move 1, 000 jobs to Paris following Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union, has said it had so far seen little impact from the referendum outcome on its business.

(Reuters)

HSBC's profit before tax for 2016 fell to $7.1 billion from $18.87 billion in the previous year

HSBC Holdings reported a 62 percent slump in annual pre-tax profit that fell way short of analysts' estimates due to one-time charges related to some businesses, and announced a new $1 billion share buy-back. Europe's biggest bank by assets said on Tuesday profit before tax for 2016 fell to $7.1 billion from $18.87 billion in the previous year. That compared with the average analyst estimate of $14.4 billion, according to Thomson Reuters data. The 2016 profit reflected a $3.2 billion impairment of goodwill in its global private banking business in Europe and the impact of its sale of operations in Brazil, the bank said in a statement to the stock exchanges. The private banking impairment charges mainly relate to its acquisition of Safra Republic Holdings in 1999, it said, without giving details. "We have considered it appropriate to write off the remaining goodwill in the European private banking business," it said, adding the restructuring of global private banking is now largely complete. The $1 billion share buy-back takes HSBC's announced buy-backs since the second half of 2016 to $3.5 billion following the bank's disposal of its Brazil unit in July last year in a $5.2 billion deal. "We are investing over $2 billion in digital transformation initiatives to improve our offer to customers, and are instigating a further $1 billion buy-back programme reflecting the strength and flexibility of our balance sheet," Stuart Gulliver, group chief executive, said in a statement. HSBC's shares have been among the best-performing European bank stocks since Britain voted in June to leave the European Union, climbing 53 per cent against a 28 per cent increase in the STOXX Europe index of 600 banks as the bank benefited from appreciation of the US dollar and stronger capital levels. The British bank, which has said it may move 1, 000 jobs to Paris following Britain's exit from the European Union, has said it had so far seen little impact from the referendum outcome on its business. (Reuters)

HSBC sees 62% decline in pre-tax profit for 2016

British engine maker Rolls-Royce slumped into a record &pound;4-billion annual net loss in 2016, ravaged by a Brexit-fuelled collapse in the pound and a corruption fine.

The loss after tax, equivalent to $5.0 billion or 4.8 billion euros, contrasted with a slender profit of &pound;84 million in the 2015, the company said in a results statement.

Rolls took a vast &pound;4.4-billion hit from the drop in the value of the pound in the wake of Britain&#39;s shock EU exit referendum, alongside a &pound;671-million penalty to settle bribery allegations.

The London-listed company, whose engines are used in Airbus and Boeing aircraft, added that underlying pre-tax profits almost halved to &pound;813 million.

Rolls-Royce, which also makes power systems for use on land and at sea, stated it was on track with efforts to slash costs and expected a &quot;modest&quot; performance improvement in 2017.

&quot;2016 has been an important year as we accelerated the transformation of Rolls-Royce,&quot; said chief executive Warren East, who has overseen a radical restructuring.&nbsp;

&quot;We have made operational progress and performed ahead of our expectations for the year as a whole.

&quot;At the same time, we have delivered major changes to our management and processes and, while we have made good progress in our cost cutting and efficiency programmes, more needs to be done to ensure we drive sustainable margin improvements within the business.&quot;

The huge annual loss also follows a tough past few years for Rolls, which faced a string of profit warnings on the back of weak demand in its aerospace and marine markets.

The company was fined &pound;671 million in January to settle bribery and corruption claims probed by Britain&#39;s Serious Fraud Office and authorities in Brazil and the United States.

Rolls will pay the penalty over five years but has taken the full cost as an impairment charge against its 2016 profits.

Pound slump

The pound has meanwhile fallen by almost a fifth against the dollar since the Brexit referendum that was held last June.

The slide is pushing up the costs of imported goods, sending British annual inflation to the highest levels in 2.5 years.

Official data Tuesday showed 12-month consumer price inflation rising to 1.8 per cent in January -- the highest level since June 2014.

&quot;Surging inflation, in particularly food and fuel prices, are eating into disposable incomes and in turn that is starting to hit spending,&quot; said ING bank economist James Smith.

&quot;We expect to see further evidence of this in this week&#39;s retail sales data.&quot;

Looking ahead for Rolls, East told reporters that 2017 would be &quot;challenging&quot; for the embattled group.

&quot;We have to look after the short term or there won&#39;t be a long term.&quot;

In morning deals, Rolls-Royce shares slid but analysts described the move as a &quot;kneejerk&quot; reaction.

Around 1000 GMT, the stock was down 4.9 per cent at 704.50 pence, topping the losers&#39; board on London&#39;s benchmark FTSE 100 index.

Analysts remained bullish over the firm&#39;s performance.

&quot;The company chalked up one of the biggest losses in corporate history -- but it&#39;s not as bad as it looks and that is perhaps why we&#39;re seeing the stock coming back a tad after the initial kneejerk,&quot; said Neil Wilson at trading firm ETX Capital.

&quot;Rolls took a &pound;4.4-billion hit from the weak pound following the EU referendum last June and it was fined &pound;671 million to settle bribery charges. Strip those out and the results do not look half as bad.&quot;

(AFP)

The huge annual loss also follows a tough past few years for Rolls on the back of weak demand in aerospace and marine markets

British engine maker Rolls-Royce slumped into a record £4-billion annual net loss in 2016, ravaged by a Brexit-fuelled collapse in the pound and a corruption fine. The loss after tax, equivalent to $5.0 billion or 4.8 billion euros, contrasted with a slender profit of £84 million in the 2015, the company said in a results statement. Rolls took a vast £4.4-billion hit from the drop in the value of the pound in the wake of Britain's shock EU exit referendum, alongside a £671-million penalty to settle bribery allegations. The London-listed company, whose engines are used in Airbus and Boeing aircraft, added that underlying pre-tax profits almost halved to £813 million. Rolls-Royce, which also makes power systems for use on land and at sea, stated it was on track with efforts to slash costs and expected a "modest" performance improvement in 2017. "2016 has been an important year as we accelerated the transformation of Rolls-Royce," said chief executive Warren East, who has overseen a radical restructuring. "We have made operational progress and performed ahead of our expectations for the year as a whole. "At the same time, we have delivered major changes to our management and processes and, while we have made good progress in our cost cutting and efficiency programmes, more needs to be done to ensure we drive sustainable margin improvements within the business." The huge annual loss also follows a tough past few years for Rolls, which faced a string of profit warnings on the back of weak demand in its aerospace and marine markets. The company was fined £671 million in January to settle bribery and corruption claims probed by Britain's Serious Fraud Office and authorities in Brazil and the United States. Rolls will pay the penalty over five years but has taken the full cost as an impairment charge against its 2016 profits. Pound slump The pound has meanwhile fallen by almost a fifth against the dollar since the Brexit referendum that was held last June. The slide is pushing up the costs of imported goods, sending British annual inflation to the highest levels in 2.5 years. Official data Tuesday showed 12-month consumer price inflation rising to 1.8 per cent in January -- the highest level since June 2014. "Surging inflation, in particularly food and fuel prices, are eating into disposable incomes and in turn that is starting to hit spending," said ING bank economist James Smith. "We expect to see further evidence of this in this week's retail sales data." Looking ahead for Rolls, East told reporters that 2017 would be "challenging" for the embattled group. "We have to look after the short term or there won't be a long term." In morning deals, Rolls-Royce shares slid but analysts described the move as a "kneejerk" reaction. Around 1000 GMT, the stock was down 4.9 per cent at 704.50 pence, topping the losers' board on London's benchmark FTSE 100 index. Analysts remained bullish over the firm's performance. "The company chalked up one of the biggest losses in corporate history -- but it's not as bad as it looks and that is perhaps why we're seeing the stock coming back a tad after the initial kneejerk," said Neil Wilson at trading firm ETX Capital. "Rolls took a £4.4-billion hit from the weak pound following the EU referendum last June and it was fined £671 million to settle bribery charges. Strip those out and the results do not look half as bad." (AFP)

Brexit- and penalty-hit Rolls-Royce slumps to record $5 billion net loss

British MPs overwhelmingly backed a bill on Wednesday empowering Prime Minister Theresa May to start negotiations on leaving the European Union, bringing Brexit a significant step closer. Members of the House of Commons voted by 494 votes to 122 for a law enabling May to trigger Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, which begins two years of talks on pulling out of the 28-nation bloc.

&quot;We&#39;ve seen a historic vote tonight -- a big majority for getting on with negotiating our exit from the EU and a strong, new partnership with its member states,&quot; said Brexit minister David Davis.

The unamended two-clause bill now moves to the House of Lords, where there may be more opposition from unelected peers -- and where May&#39;s Conservative party does not have a majority. But its passage through the Commons, where two-thirds of MPs had campaigned against Brexit ahead of the June referendum, puts May on course to begin the withdrawal process by the end of March, as she has vowed.

&nbsp;

Labour headaches

The referendum result sent shockwaves around Europe, spooking investors and raising fears for the future of the EU itself. In the early weeks, there was speculation that pro-European lawmakers might try to delay or even stop the Brexit process.

May initially sought to bypass parliament, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court that last month ruled she must obtain their approval to trigger Article 50. But during five days of debate on the resulting government bill, it became clear that most MPs would not stop the process -- even if some warned that leaving Europe&#39;s single market could be disastrous.

The opposition Labour party and the smaller Scottish National Party (SNP) tabled amendments demanding guarantees on market access, workers&#39; rights and those of EU citizens in Britain. Each was defeated, although during the process the government was forced to promise lawmakers a vote on the final Brexit deal before it is concluded.

Labour imposed a &quot;three-line whip&quot;, a tough disciplinary measure ordering its MPs not to oppose the legislation, ensuring it would pass. But some 52 Labour MPs rebelled in Wednesday&#39;s vote, including business spokesman Clive Lewis who resigned shortly beforehand, bringing a fresh headache for embattled leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn.

After two-thirds of Labour voters backed Brexit, many of them driven by concerns over mass immigration from the rest of the EU, Corbyn decided his party could not block the process.

&quot;Real fight starts now. Over next two years Labour will use every opportunity to ensure Brexit protects jobs, living standards &amp; the economy,&quot; Corbyn wrote on Twitter following the vote. But he was swiftly reprimanded in a reply by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon: &quot;How? You&#39;ve just handed the Tories a blank cheque. You didn&#39;t win a single concession but still voted for the bill. Pathetic.&quot;

&nbsp;

&#39;Ode to Joy&#39; 
SNP lawmakers voiced their frustration during Wednesday&#39;s vote by singing Beethoven&#39;s &quot;Ode to Joy&quot;, the EU&#39;s anthem, before being told off by Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle. But the outcome was celebrated by Brexiteers such as Nigel Farage, former leader of the UK Independence Party.

&quot;I never thought I&#39;d see the day where the House of Commons overwhelmingly voted for Britain to Leave the European Union,&quot; he wrote on Twitter. Liberal Democrat lawmaker Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister, said the vote would allow the government to pursue its aim of a hard Brexit, which will see Britain pull out of the single market.

&quot;There is no mandate for the hardest of hard Brexits the government favours, which risks leaving us poorer, weaker and more isolated,&quot; he said. May has promised to prioritise controlling migration in the Brexit negotiations, even if that comes at the expense of giving up membership of Europe&#39;s single market and its 500 million customers.

(AFP)

The overwhelming majority vote brings Britain a significant step closer to leaving Europe

British MPs overwhelmingly backed a bill on Wednesday empowering Prime Minister Theresa May to start negotiations on leaving the European Union, bringing Brexit a significant step closer. Members of the House of Commons voted by 494 votes to 122 for a law enabling May to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which begins two years of talks on pulling out of the 28-nation bloc. "We've seen a historic vote tonight -- a big majority for getting on with negotiating our exit from the EU and a strong, new partnership with its member states," said Brexit minister David Davis. The unamended two-clause bill now moves to the House of Lords, where there may be more opposition from unelected peers -- and where May's Conservative party does not have a majority. But its passage through the Commons, where two-thirds of MPs had campaigned against Brexit ahead of the June referendum, puts May on course to begin the withdrawal process by the end of March, as she has vowed. Labour headaches The referendum result sent shockwaves around Europe, spooking investors and raising fears for the future of the EU itself. In the early weeks, there was speculation that pro-European lawmakers might try to delay or even stop the Brexit process. May initially sought to bypass parliament, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court that last month ruled she must obtain their approval to trigger Article 50. But during five days of debate on the resulting government bill, it became clear that most MPs would not stop the process -- even if some warned that leaving Europe's single market could be disastrous. The opposition Labour party and the smaller Scottish National Party (SNP) tabled amendments demanding guarantees on market access, workers' rights and those of EU citizens in Britain. Each was defeated, although during the process the government was forced to promise lawmakers a vote on the final Brexit deal before it is concluded. Labour imposed a "three-line whip", a tough disciplinary measure ordering its MPs not to oppose the legislation, ensuring it would pass. But some 52 Labour MPs rebelled in Wednesday's vote, including business spokesman Clive Lewis who resigned shortly beforehand, bringing a fresh headache for embattled leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn. After two-thirds of Labour voters backed Brexit, many of them driven by concerns over mass immigration from the rest of the EU, Corbyn decided his party could not block the process. "Real fight starts now. Over next two years Labour will use every opportunity to ensure Brexit protects jobs, living standards & the economy," Corbyn wrote on Twitter following the vote. But he was swiftly reprimanded in a reply by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon: "How? You've just handed the Tories a blank cheque. You didn't win a single concession but still voted for the bill. Pathetic." 'Ode to Joy' SNP lawmakers voiced their frustration during Wednesday's vote by singing Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", the EU's anthem, before being told off by Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle. But the outcome was celebrated by Brexiteers such as Nigel Farage, former leader of the UK Independence Party. "I never thought I'd see the day where the House of Commons overwhelmingly voted for Britain to Leave the European Union," he wrote on Twitter. Liberal Democrat lawmaker Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister, said the vote would allow the government to pursue its aim of a hard Brexit, which will see Britain pull out of the single market. "There is no mandate for the hardest of hard Brexits the government favours, which risks leaving us poorer, weaker and more isolated," he said. May has promised to prioritise controlling migration in the Brexit negotiations, even if that comes at the expense of giving up membership of Europe's single market and its 500 million customers. (AFP)

Brexit: British MPs vote to start EU exit negotiations

British Prime Minister Theresa May received Parliament&#39;s nod for invoking Article 50 that will start the process of UK&#39;s exit from the European Union.

The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill&nbsp;was passed by the House of Commons with a majority of 384 as 498 votes were cast in favour of the bill and 114 against it.

The bill will be debated in Commons for another three days and then go to the Lords before it can become a law.

&quot;I lost the case. I made it with passion, I sacrificed my position in government for it,&quot; said former Conservative finance minister George Osborne. &quot;In the end we have to now accept that in a democracy the majority has spoken,&quot; he added.

The Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn had issued a whip ordering his MPs to vote in favour of the bill.

However, many Labour lawmakers joined their counterparts from the Scottish National Party (SNP), the Liberal Democrat party, the SDLP, Green MP Caroline Lucas and Tory MP Ken Clarke in opposing the legislation that will trigger Article 50 and start the process of UK&#39;s exit from the bloc. &nbsp;

Theresa May said that a White Paper on the Brexit strategy will be published on Thursday. She was responding to a query by Conservative MP Maria Miller.

&quot;The White Paper will reflect the plan already set out by the Prime Minister in her Brexit speech,&quot; a Downing Street spokesperson told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday morning, PTI reported.

The government was expected to win despite the Liberal Democrats and SNP voting against it.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The bill, passed by the Commons with an overwhelming majority, will trigger Article 50 and start the process of UK's exit from EU

British Prime Minister Theresa May received Parliament's nod for invoking Article 50 that will start the process of UK's exit from the European Union. The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was passed by the House of Commons with a majority of 384 as 498 votes were cast in favour of the bill and 114 against it. The bill will be debated in Commons for another three days and then go to the Lords before it can become a law. "I lost the case. I made it with passion, I sacrificed my position in government for it," said former Conservative finance minister George Osborne. "In the end we have to now accept that in a democracy the majority has spoken," he added. The Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn had issued a whip ordering his MPs to vote in favour of the bill. However, many Labour lawmakers joined their counterparts from the Scottish National Party (SNP), the Liberal Democrat party, the SDLP, Green MP Caroline Lucas and Tory MP Ken Clarke in opposing the legislation that will trigger Article 50 and start the process of UK's exit from the bloc. Theresa May said that a White Paper on the Brexit strategy will be published on Thursday. She was responding to a query by Conservative MP Maria Miller. "The White Paper will reflect the plan already set out by the Prime Minister in her Brexit speech," a Downing Street spokesperson told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday morning, PTI reported. The government was expected to win despite the Liberal Democrats and SNP voting against it. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Brexit: First hurdle cleared as lawmakers pass crucial bill approving UK's exit from EU

British MPs debated until midnight on Tuesday over the merits of a bill giving Prime Minister Theresa May the power to start the country&#39;s departure from the European Union.

The government is hoping to rush through the legislation in time to trigger Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, which opens two years of divorce negotiations, by the end of March.

While the two-clause bill is expected to swiftly pass the lower House of Commons, it could be delayed in the upper House of Lords, where May&#39;s Conservative Party does not have a majority.

Its ultimate adoption is in little doubt, however.

&quot;It is not a bill about whether or not the UK should leave the EU, or how it should do so,&quot; Brexit minister David Davis said as he opened the first, two-day debate on the legislation.

&quot;It is simply about implementing a decision already made, a point of no return already passed.&quot;

The government had originally sought to bypass parliament, insisting it had the power to trigger Article 50 on its own, but the Supreme Court last week ruled it must consult lawmakers.

A majority of both houses of parliament opposed Brexit, but May has urged them to respect last year&#39;s historic referendum when 52 per cent of Britons voted to leave the EU. At just 143 words, the &quot;European Union Notification of Withdrawal Bill&quot; has been tightly drafted, making it difficult to amend either to delay the government&#39;s plans or to tie its hands in the talks.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has promised not to block the bill, although his party, like the wider country,&nbsp;is deeply divided and dozens of his MPs are expected to rebel.

&quot;I am not failing to trust the people, I just disagree with some of them and I agree with the 48 per cent who chose to remain,&quot; Labour MP Paul Farrelly said during the debate on Tuesday.

But fellow Labour lawmaker Emma Reynolds urged MPs to back the Article 50 bill: &quot;Those of us on the remain side might not like the (referendum) result, but we have to accept it.&quot;

The Liberal Democrats&#39;&nbsp;Sarah Olney, elected in December on an anti-Brexit platform, said parliament had been presented with no evidence the country would benefit from immediately triggering Article 50.

&quot;We are effectively being asked to jump out of an aeroplane, without knowing whether or not we are securely attached to a parachute,&quot; she said.

Dozens of May&#39;s Conservative MPs are also opposed to her plan to pull Britain out of Europe&#39;s single market, but most of her party&#39;s lawmakers have promised to back the government as long as ministers keep parliament updated and involved in the process.&nbsp;

May has already promised MPs a vote on the final divorce deal.

Pro-Brexit Conservative MP Steve Baker warned fellow lawmakers they would &quot;suffer the kind of political implosion in this country which we can scarcely imagine&quot; if they refused to pass the bill.

After the preliminary debate, a vote on Wednesday allowing the bill to move to its next stage is viewed as largely procedural.

Over three days next week, however, the Commons will consider substantive amendments on issues such as access to Europe&#39;s single market.

There are also demands for greater involvement from the devolved parliaments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the latter two voting in June for Britain to remain in the EU.

The bill will then move to the Lords for debate from February 20, with the government hoping for their approval by March 7.

The Times newspaper said this could mean that Britain,&nbsp;the first country to vote to leave the EU,would trigger Article 50 at an EU summit on March 9-10, although Downing Street dismissed this.

(AFP)

A majority of both houses of parliament opposed Brexit, but May has urged them to respect last year's historic referendum

British MPs debated until midnight on Tuesday over the merits of a bill giving Prime Minister Theresa May the power to start the country's departure from the European Union. The government is hoping to rush through the legislation in time to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which opens two years of divorce negotiations, by the end of March. While the two-clause bill is expected to swiftly pass the lower House of Commons, it could be delayed in the upper House of Lords, where May's Conservative Party does not have a majority. Its ultimate adoption is in little doubt, however. "It is not a bill about whether or not the UK should leave the EU, or how it should do so," Brexit minister David Davis said as he opened the first, two-day debate on the legislation. "It is simply about implementing a decision already made, a point of no return already passed." The government had originally sought to bypass parliament, insisting it had the power to trigger Article 50 on its own, but the Supreme Court last week ruled it must consult lawmakers. A majority of both houses of parliament opposed Brexit, but May has urged them to respect last year's historic referendum when 52 per cent of Britons voted to leave the EU. At just 143 words, the "European Union Notification of Withdrawal Bill" has been tightly drafted, making it difficult to amend either to delay the government's plans or to tie its hands in the talks. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has promised not to block the bill, although his party, like the wider country, is deeply divided and dozens of his MPs are expected to rebel. "I am not failing to trust the people, I just disagree with some of them and I agree with the 48 per cent who chose to remain," Labour MP Paul Farrelly said during the debate on Tuesday. But fellow Labour lawmaker Emma Reynolds urged MPs to back the Article 50 bill: "Those of us on the remain side might not like the (referendum) result, but we have to accept it." The Liberal Democrats' Sarah Olney, elected in December on an anti-Brexit platform, said parliament had been presented with no evidence the country would benefit from immediately triggering Article 50. "We are effectively being asked to jump out of an aeroplane, without knowing whether or not we are securely attached to a parachute," she said. Dozens of May's Conservative MPs are also opposed to her plan to pull Britain out of Europe's single market, but most of her party's lawmakers have promised to back the government as long as ministers keep parliament updated and involved in the process. May has already promised MPs a vote on the final divorce deal. Pro-Brexit Conservative MP Steve Baker warned fellow lawmakers they would "suffer the kind of political implosion in this country which we can scarcely imagine" if they refused to pass the bill. After the preliminary debate, a vote on Wednesday allowing the bill to move to its next stage is viewed as largely procedural. Over three days next week, however, the Commons will consider substantive amendments on issues such as access to Europe's single market. There are also demands for greater involvement from the devolved parliaments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the latter two voting in June for Britain to remain in the EU. The bill will then move to the Lords for debate from February 20, with the government hoping for their approval by March 7. The Times newspaper said this could mean that Britain, the first country to vote to leave the EU,would trigger Article 50 at an EU summit on March 9-10, although Downing Street dismissed this. (AFP)

Brexit: British MPs debate Article 50 bill till midnight

Fresh from talks with US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet Turkish leaders in Ankara Saturday, hoping to expand ties and seal a new trading relationship before Britain leaves the EU.&nbsp;

On a one-day visit to the Turkish capital, her first since becoming premier, May will hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

While some EU states have been wary of sending top officials to Turkey following the July 15 failed coup and ensuing crackdown, May will follow several senior British ministers who have visited Ankara in recent weeks.

And symbolically, her visit to Turkey is the last leg of a trip which took her to the White House as the first foreign leader to be hosted by Trump.

Turkey, which has sought to join the European Union since the 1960s, has long seen Britain as one of the most enthusiastic supporters of its troubled bid.

But following Britain&#39;s June vote to leave the bloc, both sides are now looking to bring a new dynamic to relations, with London seeking to firm up post-Brexit trade deals with non-EU states.

&nbsp;

&#39;Engagement with Turkey&#39;

May&#39;s spokeswoman said increased security cooperation, especially on aviation, and a new trade relationship post-Brexit would top the agenda at the talks.

Following the failed coup, Turkey&#39;s relations with the EU have become strained, with Brussels sharply criticising the extent of the ensuing crackdown, and Ankara deploring Europe&#39;s failure to show solidarity.

The spokeswoman emphasised that there were no issues May would steer away from, including human rights and freedom of the press.

&quot;The Prime Minister&#39;s approach is quite clear - she thinks it&#39;s important, and in the UK&#39;s national interest - to engage with Turkey on a range of issues - from defence and security cooperation to capitalising on trade opportunities,&quot; she said.

She added: &quot;I don&#39;t think there are any issues that the prime minister is afraid to bring up.&quot;

&nbsp;

&#39;Unsavoury rulers&#39;

Ahead of May&#39;s visit, Britain&#39;s trade and investment minister Mark Price held a series of meetings with Turkish ministers in Ankara.

Bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to more than $16 billion (14.9 billion euros) in 2015, Turkish figures show, with Britain the second most important country for exports and 11th in terms of imports.&nbsp;

Three months after the Brexit vote, foreign minister Boris Johnson made a colourful visit to Turkey during which he said Britain was seeking a &quot;jumbo free trade deal&quot; with Ankara.

Noting that trade ties were already significant, Johnson said he was the &quot;proud&quot; owner of a Turkish washing machine and acknowledged that Britain&#39;s iconic Jaffa Cake biscuits were owned by a Turkish confectionary giant.

He also ebulliently brushed off the embarrassment of penning the winning entry in an offensive poetry competition about Erdogan which was published by The Spectator magazine earlier in the year.&nbsp;

Back in the UK, MPs have urged May not to let her eagerness to promote trade overshadow human rights concerns over Turkey&#39;s post-coup crackdown.&nbsp;

&quot;The Conservative Brexit government is so desperate for trade deals with anyone but the mature democracies of the European Union that even the most unsavoury rulers are to be subjected to the prime ministerial charm,&quot; opposition Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney wrote in the Guardian newspaper.

Writers&#39; group PEN International called on May to raise &quot;serious concerns about the grave violations&quot; being committed within the state of emergency imposed in Turkey after the coup.

Regarding the coup and its aftermath, May&#39;s spokeswoman said: &quot;We have already expressed our strong support for Turkey&#39;s democracy and institutions following the coup - but we have also been clear that we urge Turkey to ensure that their response is proportionate, justified and in line with international human rights obligations.&quot;

(AFP)

Both sides are looking to bring a new dynamic to relations, with London seeking to firm up post-Brexit trade deals with non-EU states

Fresh from talks with US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet Turkish leaders in Ankara Saturday, hoping to expand ties and seal a new trading relationship before Britain leaves the EU. On a one-day visit to the Turkish capital, her first since becoming premier, May will hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. While some EU states have been wary of sending top officials to Turkey following the July 15 failed coup and ensuing crackdown, May will follow several senior British ministers who have visited Ankara in recent weeks. And symbolically, her visit to Turkey is the last leg of a trip which took her to the White House as the first foreign leader to be hosted by Trump. Turkey, which has sought to join the European Union since the 1960s, has long seen Britain as one of the most enthusiastic supporters of its troubled bid. But following Britain's June vote to leave the bloc, both sides are now looking to bring a new dynamic to relations, with London seeking to firm up post-Brexit trade deals with non-EU states. 'Engagement with Turkey' May's spokeswoman said increased security cooperation, especially on aviation, and a new trade relationship post-Brexit would top the agenda at the talks. Following the failed coup, Turkey's relations with the EU have become strained, with Brussels sharply criticising the extent of the ensuing crackdown, and Ankara deploring Europe's failure to show solidarity. The spokeswoman emphasised that there were no issues May would steer away from, including human rights and freedom of the press. "The Prime Minister's approach is quite clear - she thinks it's important, and in the UK's national interest - to engage with Turkey on a range of issues - from defence and security cooperation to capitalising on trade opportunities," she said. She added: "I don't think there are any issues that the prime minister is afraid to bring up." 'Unsavoury rulers' Ahead of May's visit, Britain's trade and investment minister Mark Price held a series of meetings with Turkish ministers in Ankara. Bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to more than $16 billion (14.9 billion euros) in 2015, Turkish figures show, with Britain the second most important country for exports and 11th in terms of imports. Three months after the Brexit vote, foreign minister Boris Johnson made a colourful visit to Turkey during which he said Britain was seeking a "jumbo free trade deal" with Ankara. Noting that trade ties were already significant, Johnson said he was the "proud" owner of a Turkish washing machine and acknowledged that Britain's iconic Jaffa Cake biscuits were owned by a Turkish confectionary giant. He also ebulliently brushed off the embarrassment of penning the winning entry in an offensive poetry competition about Erdogan which was published by The Spectator magazine earlier in the year. Back in the UK, MPs have urged May not to let her eagerness to promote trade overshadow human rights concerns over Turkey's post-coup crackdown. "The Conservative Brexit government is so desperate for trade deals with anyone but the mature democracies of the European Union that even the most unsavoury rulers are to be subjected to the prime ministerial charm," opposition Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney wrote in the Guardian newspaper. Writers' group PEN International called on May to raise "serious concerns about the grave violations" being committed within the state of emergency imposed in Turkey after the coup. Regarding the coup and its aftermath, May's spokeswoman said: "We have already expressed our strong support for Turkey's democracy and institutions following the coup - but we have also been clear that we urge Turkey to ensure that their response is proportionate, justified and in line with international human rights obligations." (AFP)

British PM May eyes trade ties with Turkey ahead of Brexit

President Donald Trump hailed a &quot;most special relationship&quot; with Britain and threw his support behind Brexit Friday, as he hosted British Prime Minister Theresa May for his debut on the diplomatic stage.

At a tense moment in trans-Atlantic relations, Trump tried to recast the &quot;deep bond&quot; as a meeting of ideological minds: two countries embracing populist policies and taking an uncompromising view of the national interest.

Trump pointed to Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union as a &quot;wonderful thing&quot; and said: &quot;When it irons out, you&#39;re going to have your own identity, and you are going to have the people that you want in your country.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;You&#39;re going to be able to make free trade deals without having somebody watching you and what you are doing,&quot; he added.

May brushed aside deep-seated differences on issues from torture to Russia, to pursue a diplomatic charm offensive aimed at securing commitments on trade and mutual defense.

May conveyed an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II for Trump to come to Britain for a state visit later this year.&nbsp;

The pair even briefly held hands as they walked down the West Wing colonnade.&nbsp;

Trump greeted May himself upon her arrival at the White House and then they went to the Oval Office, posing and shaking hands in front of a bust of Winston Churchill.&nbsp;

Behind closed doors, May was expected to give Trump an engraved quaich -- a ceremonial cup exchanged by Scottish highland chiefs -- in a nod to Trump&#39;s Scottish ancestry. His mother was born on the island of Lewis.

For First Lady Melania Trump, May was to gift a hamper of apple juice, damson plum jam, marmalade, Bakewell tarts and cranberry and white chocolate shortbread cookies.

But May also came with a diplomatic shopping list. Trans-Atlantic relations have been rocked by Trump&#39;s election and his willingness to rethink NATO, the UN and other foundation blocks of the liberal world order.

With Trump largely silent on these issues during a joint press conference, May conveyed what had been said in private.

&quot;We&#39;ve reaffirmed our unshakeable commitment to this alliance,&quot; she said. &quot;Mr President, I think you confirmed that you were 100 percent behind NATO.&quot;

Much of Britain&#39;s military power, including its nuclear deterrent, depends on US equipment and systems.

In private, European diplomats worry about the influence of top Trump advisor Steve Bannon, who has made common cause with right-wing nationalists and populists in France, Britain and beyond.

Many in European capitals are conscious of the continent&#39;s previous embraces of nationalism -- the Balkan wars and the horrors of World War II, which left millions dead.

Post-Brexit trade

Trump&#39;s break with decades of US support for multilateral trade deals and his preference for bilateral accords did offer May one opening as she seeks to navigate Britain&#39;s complex exit from the European Union.

Faced with exit from the European single market, the British government is scrambling to secure bilateral deals around the world.&nbsp;

Trump nevertheless offered no firm commitment to negotiate a free trade agreement, but did say: &quot;We look forward to working closely with you as we strengthen our mutual ties and commerce, business and foreign affairs.&quot;

That could pose problems for May at home. Her decision to meet Trump just one week after his inauguration has caused considerable controversy.&nbsp;

Trump has been condemned by European politicians of all stripes for his comments about women, Muslims and the use of torture.

May was not helped Thursday when the White House misspelled her name multiple times when announcing her visit.

&#39;I think we are going to get along&#39;

The reserved daughter of a vicar had promised to be &quot;frank&quot; in her dealings with the unpredictable billionaire. The pair laughed off questions about their personal compatibility.

Trump joked that he was &quot;not as brash as you might think&quot; and, turning to May, said: &quot;I think we&#39;re going to get along very well.&quot;

Throughout the long US election campaign, Trump showed little interest in foreign policy except through the prism of his image at home and a pledge to put &quot;America First.&quot;

His first week in office has been marked by a war of words with Mexico over the building of a border wall, and his vow to make Mexico pay for it.

On Thursday, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto called off a planned trip to Washington in protest. But the pair spoke by telephone on Friday and agreed to try to resolve their differences, the two sides said.

May arrived in the United States on Thursday and received a rapturous welcome from Republican lawmakers gathering in Philadelphia with a speech urging them to &quot;beware&quot; of Russia, and warning US allies to &quot;step up&quot; and play a greater role in global security.

On Friday, Trump said it was &quot;too early&quot; to talk about whether he might lift sanctions against Moscow. May took a much sterner line, saying the sanctions should continue.

(AFP)

The US president?reiterated his support for Britain's decision to leave the European Union, calling it a 'blessing to the world'

President Donald Trump hailed a "most special relationship" with Britain and threw his support behind Brexit Friday, as he hosted British Prime Minister Theresa May for his debut on the diplomatic stage. At a tense moment in trans-Atlantic relations, Trump tried to recast the "deep bond" as a meeting of ideological minds: two countries embracing populist policies and taking an uncompromising view of the national interest. Trump pointed to Britain's exit from the European Union as a "wonderful thing" and said: "When it irons out, you're going to have your own identity, and you are going to have the people that you want in your country." "You're going to be able to make free trade deals without having somebody watching you and what you are doing," he added. May brushed aside deep-seated differences on issues from torture to Russia, to pursue a diplomatic charm offensive aimed at securing commitments on trade and mutual defense. May conveyed an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II for Trump to come to Britain for a state visit later this year. The pair even briefly held hands as they walked down the West Wing colonnade. Trump greeted May himself upon her arrival at the White House and then they went to the Oval Office, posing and shaking hands in front of a bust of Winston Churchill. Behind closed doors, May was expected to give Trump an engraved quaich -- a ceremonial cup exchanged by Scottish highland chiefs -- in a nod to Trump's Scottish ancestry. His mother was born on the island of Lewis. For First Lady Melania Trump, May was to gift a hamper of apple juice, damson plum jam, marmalade, Bakewell tarts and cranberry and white chocolate shortbread cookies. But May also came with a diplomatic shopping list. Trans-Atlantic relations have been rocked by Trump's election and his willingness to rethink NATO, the UN and other foundation blocks of the liberal world order. With Trump largely silent on these issues during a joint press conference, May conveyed what had been said in private. "We've reaffirmed our unshakeable commitment to this alliance," she said. "Mr President, I think you confirmed that you were 100 percent behind NATO." Much of Britain's military power, including its nuclear deterrent, depends on US equipment and systems. In private, European diplomats worry about the influence of top Trump advisor Steve Bannon, who has made common cause with right-wing nationalists and populists in France, Britain and beyond. Many in European capitals are conscious of the continent's previous embraces of nationalism -- the Balkan wars and the horrors of World War II, which left millions dead. Post-Brexit trade Trump's break with decades of US support for multilateral trade deals and his preference for bilateral accords did offer May one opening as she seeks to navigate Britain's complex exit from the European Union. Faced with exit from the European single market, the British government is scrambling to secure bilateral deals around the world. Trump nevertheless offered no firm commitment to negotiate a free trade agreement, but did say: "We look forward to working closely with you as we strengthen our mutual ties and commerce, business and foreign affairs." That could pose problems for May at home. Her decision to meet Trump just one week after his inauguration has caused considerable controversy. Trump has been condemned by European politicians of all stripes for his comments about women, Muslims and the use of torture. May was not helped Thursday when the White House misspelled her name multiple times when announcing her visit. 'I think we are going to get along' The reserved daughter of a vicar had promised to be "frank" in her dealings with the unpredictable billionaire. The pair laughed off questions about their personal compatibility. Trump joked that he was "not as brash as you might think" and, turning to May, said: "I think we're going to get along very well." Throughout the long US election campaign, Trump showed little interest in foreign policy except through the prism of his image at home and a pledge to put "America First." His first week in office has been marked by a war of words with Mexico over the building of a border wall, and his vow to make Mexico pay for it. On Thursday, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto called off a planned trip to Washington in protest. But the pair spoke by telephone on Friday and agreed to try to resolve their differences, the two sides said. May arrived in the United States on Thursday and received a rapturous welcome from Republican lawmakers gathering in Philadelphia with a speech urging them to "beware" of Russia, and warning US allies to "step up" and play a greater role in global security. On Friday, Trump said it was "too early" to talk about whether he might lift sanctions against Moscow. May took a much sterner line, saying the sanctions should continue. (AFP)

Trump, May renew 'most special US-UK relationship'

Britain&#39;s government on Thursday published a draft law that would authorise Prime Minister Theresa May to begin the procedure for leaving the European Union in an important milestone towards Brexit.

&quot;The British people have made the decision to leave the EU... so today we have introduced a bill in parliament which will allow us to formally trigger Article 50 by the end of March,&quot; said Brexit minister David Davis.

The two-clause &quot;European Union Notification of Withdrawal Bill&quot; asks parliament to give May authority to start the formal mechanism by which Britain will leave the bloc.

The government said MPs would get their first chance to debate and vote on it on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. 
 
May&#39;s&nbsp;government was forced to go to parliament following a landmark Supreme Court ruling this week that rejected its argument that executive powers allowed it to proceed.

The ruling Conservatives have a small majority in the House of Commons and the bill is expected to get the go-ahead from MPs, although opposition parties have said they plan put forward amendments that could slow it down.

Davis said he hoped that parliament would &quot;respect the decision taken by the British people and pass the legislation quickly,&quot; arguing that MPs had supported holding the referendum in the first place.

House of Commons leader David Lidington told parliament that the bill`s third and final reading in the House of Commons -- followed by a final vote by MPs -- would be on February 8.

The bill will then pass to the upper House of Lords, where progress is less certain as the government has no majority there and no control over the timing.

&quot;The Lords will not block or wreck the bill but they will want to give it proper scrutiny, especially if they think the scrutiny in the Commons has been inadequate,&quot; Robert Hazel and Alan Renwick from University College London`s Constitution Unit said.

If approved by the House of Lords, the bill would then have to be signed off by Queen Elizabeth II before May can trigger Article 50 of the EU`s Lisbon Treaty -- the formal process for leaving the bloc.May has said she is confident she will be able to stick to her timetable of triggering Article 50 by the end of March at the latest and the government has said it hopes to start Brexit talks before the summer.

Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23 last year following a bitter campaign and divisions have persisted since then.

A majority of Britain&#39;s 11 Supreme Court judges on Tuesday ruled that withdrawing from the EU meant there would have to be changes in Britain&#39;s domestic laws and therefore parliament had to be involved.

There were shouts of &quot;disgraceful&quot; from MPs as the government outlined its rapid timetable for the bill.

The main opposition Labour Party has said it is planning amendments including a clause calling for the protection of workers` rights, while the Scottish National Party wants to put forward dozens of changes.

May&#39;s Conservative government currently has a working majority of 16 in the 650-member parliament.

The bill came as official data showed Britain`s economy grew solidly in the final months of last year, even as it prepares for a difficult departure from the EU.

Gross domestic product expanded 0.6 per cent between October and December, matching growth during the previous two quarters, the Office for National Statistics said.

For 2016 as a whole, British growth reached 2.0 per cent, a decline from the previous year`s increase of 2.2 per cent.&nbsp;The economy has performed better than expected since the Brexit vote, though analysts have said they expect a more difficult 2017.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The government said MPs would get their first chance to debate and vote on it next week

Britain's government on Thursday published a draft law that would authorise Prime Minister Theresa May to begin the procedure for leaving the European Union in an important milestone towards Brexit. "The British people have made the decision to leave the EU... so today we have introduced a bill in parliament which will allow us to formally trigger Article 50 by the end of March," said Brexit minister David Davis. The two-clause "European Union Notification of Withdrawal Bill" asks parliament to give May authority to start the formal mechanism by which Britain will leave the bloc. The government said MPs would get their first chance to debate and vote on it on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. May's government was forced to go to parliament following a landmark Supreme Court ruling this week that rejected its argument that executive powers allowed it to proceed. The ruling Conservatives have a small majority in the House of Commons and the bill is expected to get the go-ahead from MPs, although opposition parties have said they plan put forward amendments that could slow it down. Davis said he hoped that parliament would "respect the decision taken by the British people and pass the legislation quickly," arguing that MPs had supported holding the referendum in the first place. House of Commons leader David Lidington told parliament that the bill`s third and final reading in the House of Commons -- followed by a final vote by MPs -- would be on February 8. The bill will then pass to the upper House of Lords, where progress is less certain as the government has no majority there and no control over the timing. "The Lords will not block or wreck the bill but they will want to give it proper scrutiny, especially if they think the scrutiny in the Commons has been inadequate," Robert Hazel and Alan Renwick from University College London`s Constitution Unit said. If approved by the House of Lords, the bill would then have to be signed off by Queen Elizabeth II before May can trigger Article 50 of the EU`s Lisbon Treaty -- the formal process for leaving the bloc.May has said she is confident she will be able to stick to her timetable of triggering Article 50 by the end of March at the latest and the government has said it hopes to start Brexit talks before the summer. Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23 last year following a bitter campaign and divisions have persisted since then. A majority of Britain's 11 Supreme Court judges on Tuesday ruled that withdrawing from the EU meant there would have to be changes in Britain's domestic laws and therefore parliament had to be involved. There were shouts of "disgraceful" from MPs as the government outlined its rapid timetable for the bill. The main opposition Labour Party has said it is planning amendments including a clause calling for the protection of workers` rights, while the Scottish National Party wants to put forward dozens of changes. May's Conservative government currently has a working majority of 16 in the 650-member parliament. The bill came as official data showed Britain`s economy grew solidly in the final months of last year, even as it prepares for a difficult departure from the EU. Gross domestic product expanded 0.6 per cent between October and December, matching growth during the previous two quarters, the Office for National Statistics said. For 2016 as a whole, British growth reached 2.0 per cent, a decline from the previous year`s increase of 2.2 per cent. The economy has performed better than expected since the Brexit vote, though analysts have said they expect a more difficult 2017. (AFP)

UK takes first step towards triggering Brexit, tables draft bill

The UK Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Prime Minister Theresa May must get Parliament&#39;s approval before she begins Britain&#39;s formal exit from the European Union.

The UK&#39;s highest judicial body dismissed the government&#39;s argument that May could simply use executive powers known as &quot;royal prerogative&quot; to invoke Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty and begin two years of divorce talks.

However, the court rejected arguments that the UK&#39;s devolved assemblies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales should give their assent before Article 50 is invoked.

&quot;The referendum is of great political significance, but the act of Parliament which established it did not say what should happen as a result,&quot; said David Neuberger, president of the Supreme Court which ruled by 8-3 against the government.

&quot;So any change in the law to give effect to the referendum must be made in the only way permitted by the UK constitution, namely by an Act of Parliament.&quot;

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UK Supreme Court ruled that PM Theresa May must get Parliament&#39;s approval before she begins Britain&#39;s formal exit from the European Union (WION)
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PM Theresa May has repeatedly said she would trigger Article 50 before the end of March but she will now have to seek the consent of lawmakers first, potentially meaning her plans could be amended or delayed, although the main opposition Labour Party has said it would not slow her timetable.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

UK Supreme Court ruled that PM Theresa May must get Parliament's approval before she begins Britain's formal exit from the European Union

The UK Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Prime Minister Theresa May must get Parliament's approval before she begins Britain's formal exit from the European Union. The UK's highest judicial body dismissed the government's argument that May could simply use executive powers known as "royal prerogative" to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty and begin two years of divorce talks. However, the court rejected arguments that the UK's devolved assemblies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales should give their assent before Article 50 is invoked. "The referendum is of great political significance, but the act of Parliament which established it did not say what should happen as a result," said David Neuberger, president of the Supreme Court which ruled by 8-3 against the government. "So any change in the law to give effect to the referendum must be made in the only way permitted by the UK constitution, namely by an Act of Parliament." UK Supreme Court ruled that PM Theresa May must get Parliament's approval before she begins Britain's formal exit from the European Union (WION) × PM Theresa May has repeatedly said she would trigger Article 50 before the end of March but she will now have to seek the consent of lawmakers first, potentially meaning her plans could be amended or delayed, although the main opposition Labour Party has said it would not slow her timetable. (Reuters)

Brexit: UK government loses appeal to trigger EU exit

&nbsp;Britain will trigger the legal process for leaving the European Union by the end of March despite a court ruling that means the government needs to get parliamentary approval, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday.

The UK&#39;s highest judicial body dismissed a government argument that May could simply use executive powers known as &quot;royal prerogative&quot; to invoke Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty and begin two years of divorce talks.

&quot;The British people voted to leave the EU, and the government will deliver on their verdict &ndash; triggering Article 50, as planned, by the end of March. Today&#39;s ruling does nothing to change that,&quot; the spokesman said.

&quot;We respect the Supreme Court&#39;s decision, and will set out our next steps to Parliament shortly.&quot;

(Reuters)

Britain will trigger the legal process for leaving the EU by the end of March despite the Supreme Court's ruling, the spokesman said

Britain will trigger the legal process for leaving the European Union by the end of March despite a court ruling that means the government needs to get parliamentary approval, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday. The UK's highest judicial body dismissed a government argument that May could simply use executive powers known as "royal prerogative" to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty and begin two years of divorce talks. "The British people voted to leave the EU, and the government will deliver on their verdict – triggering Article 50, as planned, by the end of March. Today's ruling does nothing to change that," the spokesman said. "We respect the Supreme Court's decision, and will set out our next steps to Parliament shortly." (Reuters)

Article 50 ruling does not change Brexit timetable: Spokesman for PM May

Britain&#39;s foreign minister Boris Johnson warned French President Francois Hollande against World War II-style &quot;punishment beatings&quot; for Brexit.

Hollande has said it would not accept improved conditions for the UK when it leaves the single market.

Johnson said that penalising Britain for leaving the EU would benefit no one and compared the approach to punishment given to escaped prisoners in war movies.

&quot;I think that if Monsieur Hollande wants to administer punishment beatings to anybody who chooses to escape, rather in manner of some sort of World War II movie, than I don&rsquo;t think that is the way forward,&quot; the former journalist told delegates at a political conference in New Delhi, reported AFP.

&quot;I think it&#39;s actually not in the interest of our friends and our partners.&quot;

Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday said Britain will leave the EU&#39;s single market after leaving the European Union in order to restrict immigration in a clean break from the politico-economic union.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the minister&#39;s comments &quot;wild and inappropriate&quot;.

May&#39;s spokeswoman defended Johnson&#39;s statement saying it was a &quot;theatrical comparison&quot;.

&quot;He was making a point. He was in no way suggesting that anyone was a Nazi,&quot; she said.

Johnson&#39;s brother told BBC radio that Boris used &quot;colourful language&quot; to make a powerful point.

&quot;He was making a powerful point that we want a rational deal. He was using colourful language to get across an important point,&quot; Jo Johnson said.

May said Britain wanted a news customs deal with the EU that would focus on giving Britain &quot;the greatest possible access&quot; to the market on its departure.

On Wednesday, Johnson said Britain&#39;s decision to exit the single market did not mean it wanted to stop having access to EU countries, reported AFP.

&quot;We should be working together. It seems absolutely incredible to me that in the 21st century, the European Union... should be seriously contemplating the introduction of tariffs or whatever to administer punishment to (the) UK,&quot; he said.

&quot;And don&rsquo;t forget, these things cut both ways. After all, the Germans, as is well known, export one-fifth of their motor manufacturing output.&quot;

(With inputs from AFP)

Boris Johnson asserted that Britain should not be penalised for exiting the European Union

Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson warned French President Francois Hollande against World War II-style "punishment beatings" for Brexit. Hollande has said it would not accept improved conditions for the UK when it leaves the single market. Johnson said that penalising Britain for leaving the EU would benefit no one and compared the approach to punishment given to escaped prisoners in war movies. "I think that if Monsieur Hollande wants to administer punishment beatings to anybody who chooses to escape, rather in manner of some sort of World War II movie, than I don’t think that is the way forward," the former journalist told delegates at a political conference in New Delhi, reported AFP. "I think it's actually not in the interest of our friends and our partners." Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday said Britain will leave the EU's single market after leaving the European Union in order to restrict immigration in a clean break from the politico-economic union. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the minister's comments "wild and inappropriate". May's spokeswoman defended Johnson's statement saying it was a "theatrical comparison". "He was making a point. He was in no way suggesting that anyone was a Nazi," she said. Johnson's brother told BBC radio that Boris used "colourful language" to make a powerful point. "He was making a powerful point that we want a rational deal. He was using colourful language to get across an important point," Jo Johnson said. May said Britain wanted a news customs deal with the EU that would focus on giving Britain "the greatest possible access" to the market on its departure. On Wednesday, Johnson said Britain's decision to exit the single market did not mean it wanted to stop having access to EU countries, reported AFP. "We should be working together. It seems absolutely incredible to me that in the 21st century, the European Union... should be seriously contemplating the introduction of tariffs or whatever to administer punishment to (the) UK," he said. "And don’t forget, these things cut both ways. After all, the Germans, as is well known, export one-fifth of their motor manufacturing output." (With inputs from AFP)

UK foreign minister Johnson warns against Brexit 'punishment beatings'

Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled her Brexit blueprint on Tuesday, announcing for the first time that Britain will leave Europe&#39;s single market in order to control EU immigration.

In a highly-anticipated speech, May warned the EU against imposing harsh terms on Britain&#39;s historic divorce from the bloc after more than four decades of membership.

She revealed that Britain would look to strike a new customs agreement with the EU to be able to carve out its own trade deals with the rest of the world.

In a concession to parliamentary critics, the Conservative leader also said lawmakers would get a vote on any final Brexit agreement negotiated with Brussels.

EU leaders have insisted that single market membership means accepting free movement -- a key issue in Britain&#39;s shock June referendum vote to become the first country to leave the 28-member grouping.

&quot;Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe. And that is what we will deliver,&quot; May told foreign ambassadors in London.

&quot;What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market.&quot;

EU immigration to Britain ran at 284,000 in the year to June 2016.

EU president Donald Tusk said May&#39;s plans were &quot;at least more realistic&quot; about what London wanted.

But the European Commission&#39;s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned that an orderly divorce from the bloc within the specified two years was a &quot;prerequisite&quot; for any future free trade deal.

Good deal or no deal

Britain has two years to negotiate a break-up deal once May triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, officially declaring the country&#39;s intention to quit, or face leaving with no agreement.

May said London could accept departing on such terms if Brussels played hardball, but it would hurt the EU hardest.

&quot;No deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain,&quot; she said.

May has promised to trigger Article 50 by the end of March, and said she was confident that final settlements could be negotiated within the two-year timeframe.

Seeking to calm fears of a sudden jolt to the economy on abruptly leaving the EU in 2019, May said she would seek a &quot;phased process of implementation&quot;.

EU countries accounted for 44 percent of Britain&#39;s total exports in goods and services in 2015, with the country recording a &pound;68.6 billion ($82.7 billion, 77.9 billion euros) trade deficit with the bloc.

The single market without Britain covers 460 million people.

Brussels has estimated the bill Britain will have to pay at 55 to 60 billion euros, EU sources told AFP.

The British currency has endured a rocky ride since the June referendum, but sterling responded strongly to May&#39;s speech, wiping out losses earlier in the week to stand at $1.2379 at 1730 GMT.

&quot;The prime minister has adopted a more pragmatic approach to Brexit than expected, providing some much needed relief for the pound,&quot; NFS Macro analyst Nick Stamenkovic told AFP.

Meanwhile London stocks closed down 1.5 percent at 7,220.38 points.

Warning on &#39;punitive deal&#39;

May hinted that Britain might undercut the EU economically if it does not get a free trade deal.

Excluded from the single market, May said London would be free to change its economic model and &quot;set competitive tax rates&quot;.

&quot;There are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path.

&quot;That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe.&quot;

Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973 but was often an uncomfortable partner as the grouping moved to greater integration, refusing to join the euro currency or the Schengen open borders zone.

May said Britain voted to leave because Europe had not been flexible enough for voters on key issues, but Britain nonetheless wanted the EU to succeed, not unravel.

She said Britain would remain a key intelligence and security partner in Europe, as she couched her speech as repositioning Britain as an outward-looking global trading player.

Professor Anand Menon, director of The UK in a Changing Europe research initiative, said: &quot;Her ability to achieve the ambitions she set out will ultimately hinge on what her partners are willing to give her.&quot;

Scotland&#39;s nationalist First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said May&#39;s speech had made Scottish independence more likely.

&quot;The UK is heading for a hard Brexit, which threatens to be economically catastrophic,&quot; she said.

A new independence referendum is now &quot;even more likely&quot;.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said May had &quot;finally brought a bit more clarity&quot;.

&quot;We also want as good, close and trusting a relationship as possible,&quot; he said.

Britain&#39;s Supreme Court is due to rule later this month on whether May must seek parliamentary approval before triggering Article 50, which could delay the start of negotiations.

(AFP)

May unveiled her Brexit blueprint on Tuesday,?warning the EU against imposing harsh terms on Britain

Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled her Brexit blueprint on Tuesday, announcing for the first time that Britain will leave Europe's single market in order to control EU immigration. In a highly-anticipated speech, May warned the EU against imposing harsh terms on Britain's historic divorce from the bloc after more than four decades of membership. She revealed that Britain would look to strike a new customs agreement with the EU to be able to carve out its own trade deals with the rest of the world. In a concession to parliamentary critics, the Conservative leader also said lawmakers would get a vote on any final Brexit agreement negotiated with Brussels. EU leaders have insisted that single market membership means accepting free movement -- a key issue in Britain's shock June referendum vote to become the first country to leave the 28-member grouping. "Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe. And that is what we will deliver," May told foreign ambassadors in London. "What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market." EU immigration to Britain ran at 284,000 in the year to June 2016. EU president Donald Tusk said May's plans were "at least more realistic" about what London wanted. But the European Commission's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned that an orderly divorce from the bloc within the specified two years was a "prerequisite" for any future free trade deal. Good deal or no deal Britain has two years to negotiate a break-up deal once May triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, officially declaring the country's intention to quit, or face leaving with no agreement. May said London could accept departing on such terms if Brussels played hardball, but it would hurt the EU hardest. "No deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain," she said. May has promised to trigger Article 50 by the end of March, and said she was confident that final settlements could be negotiated within the two-year timeframe. Seeking to calm fears of a sudden jolt to the economy on abruptly leaving the EU in 2019, May said she would seek a "phased process of implementation". EU countries accounted for 44 percent of Britain's total exports in goods and services in 2015, with the country recording a £68.6 billion ($82.7 billion, 77.9 billion euros) trade deficit with the bloc. The single market without Britain covers 460 million people. Brussels has estimated the bill Britain will have to pay at 55 to 60 billion euros, EU sources told AFP. The British currency has endured a rocky ride since the June referendum, but sterling responded strongly to May's speech, wiping out losses earlier in the week to stand at $1.2379 at 1730 GMT. "The prime minister has adopted a more pragmatic approach to Brexit than expected, providing some much needed relief for the pound," NFS Macro analyst Nick Stamenkovic told AFP. Meanwhile London stocks closed down 1.5 percent at 7,220.38 points. Warning on 'punitive deal' May hinted that Britain might undercut the EU economically if it does not get a free trade deal. Excluded from the single market, May said London would be free to change its economic model and "set competitive tax rates". "There are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path. "That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe." Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973 but was often an uncomfortable partner as the grouping moved to greater integration, refusing to join the euro currency or the Schengen open borders zone. May said Britain voted to leave because Europe had not been flexible enough for voters on key issues, but Britain nonetheless wanted the EU to succeed, not unravel. She said Britain would remain a key intelligence and security partner in Europe, as she couched her speech as repositioning Britain as an outward-looking global trading player. Professor Anand Menon, director of The UK in a Changing Europe research initiative, said: "Her ability to achieve the ambitions she set out will ultimately hinge on what her partners are willing to give her." Scotland's nationalist First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said May's speech had made Scottish independence more likely. "The UK is heading for a hard Brexit, which threatens to be economically catastrophic," she said. A new independence referendum is now "even more likely". German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said May had "finally brought a bit more clarity". "We also want as good, close and trusting a relationship as possible," he said. Britain's Supreme Court is due to rule later this month on whether May must seek parliamentary approval before triggering Article 50, which could delay the start of negotiations. (AFP)

Britain will leave EU single market: British PM May

Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday said Britain will leave the EU&#39;s single market after leaving the European Union in order to restrict immigration in a clean break from the politico-economic union.

&quot;What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market,&quot; May said.

The prime minister also announced that the exit deal would be approved by votes in both chambers of Britain&#39;s parliament.

The pound rebounded as the British PM drew out her&nbsp;12-point plan to leave the 29-member bloc.&nbsp;

&quot;Brexit must mean control of the number of people coming from Europe, and that is what we will deliver. What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single 
market,&quot; May said during a highly-anticipated speech at London&#39;s Lancaster House.

May said Britain wanted a news customs deal with the EU that would focus on giving Britain &quot;the greatest possible access&quot; to the market on its departure.

&quot;I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU,&quot; May said, adding that she had an &quot;open mind&quot; on how it was achieved and wanted &quot;to remove as many barriers to trade as possible&quot;.

In her speech, May also said Britain wanted a &quot;phased approach&quot; to implementing its future relations with the politico-economic union to avoid a &quot;cliff edge&quot; for business.&nbsp;

&quot;We will seek to avoid a disruptive cliff edge,&quot; she said, calling for a &quot;phased approach&quot; but saying she did not want an &quot;unlimited transitional status&quot;.

May warned European Union member states against pushing for a punitive deal over Britain&#39;s departure, saying it would be an &quot;act of calamitous self-harm&quot;.

&quot;No deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain,&quot; she said.

Britain has two years to negotiate a break-up deal once May triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, officially declaring the country&#39;s intention to quit.

May has promised to trigger Article 50 by the end of March, and said that she believed a final settlement and trade deal could be simultaneously negotiated within the timeframe.

Foreign partners doubt such a timetable, with Austrian Foreign Minister Hans Joerg Schelling saying Brexit would take five years. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

Theresa May said Britain could not remain a member of the EU single market after leaving the European Union

Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday said Britain will leave the EU's single market after leaving the European Union in order to restrict immigration in a clean break from the politico-economic union. "What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market," May said. The prime minister also announced that the exit deal would be approved by votes in both chambers of Britain's parliament. The pound rebounded as the British PM drew out her 12-point plan to leave the 29-member bloc. "Brexit must mean control of the number of people coming from Europe, and that is what we will deliver. What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market," May said during a highly-anticipated speech at London's Lancaster House. May said Britain wanted a news customs deal with the EU that would focus on giving Britain "the greatest possible access" to the market on its departure. "I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU," May said, adding that she had an "open mind" on how it was achieved and wanted "to remove as many barriers to trade as possible". In her speech, May also said Britain wanted a "phased approach" to implementing its future relations with the politico-economic union to avoid a "cliff edge" for business. "We will seek to avoid a disruptive cliff edge," she said, calling for a "phased approach" but saying she did not want an "unlimited transitional status". May warned European Union member states against pushing for a punitive deal over Britain's departure, saying it would be an "act of calamitous self-harm". "No deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain," she said. Britain has two years to negotiate a break-up deal once May triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, officially declaring the country's intention to quit. May has promised to trigger Article 50 by the end of March, and said that she believed a final settlement and trade deal could be simultaneously negotiated within the timeframe. Foreign partners doubt such a timetable, with Austrian Foreign Minister Hans Joerg Schelling saying Brexit would take five years. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Want customs deal with EU, phased approach to avoid cliff-edge for business: Theresa May outlines Brexit plan

French President Francois Hollande replied bluntly on Monday to Donald Trump&#39;s criticism of the European Union, saying the EU &quot;has no need for outside advice&quot; on its affairs.

&quot;I say it here, Europe will always be willing to pursue transatlantic cooperation, but it will determine its path on the basis of its own interests and values,&quot; Hollande said at a ceremony in Paris for outgoing US ambassador Jane Hartley.

&quot;It has no need for outside advice to tell it what it has to do.&quot;

In a hard-hitting interview published on Sunday by The Times of London and Germany&#39;s Bild, the US president-elect praised Britain&#39;s vote to leave the EU and said Europe had been weakened by its policy on migrants.

He criticised as &quot;catastrophic&quot; Germany&#39;s decision to open its borders to Syrian refugees, hailed Brexit as &quot;a great thing&quot; and predicted other countries would follow Britain in leaving the EU.

&quot;(...) If refugees keep pouring into different parts of Europe... I think it&#39;s gonna be very hard to keep it together because people are angry about it,&quot; said Trump.

Trump also said NATO was &quot;obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago... (and isn&#39;t) taking care of terror.&quot;

He also noted that only a small number of its 28 members met a commitment on levels of military spending.

Taking aim at Trump but without naming him, Hollande said relations between Europe and the United States &quot;have always been founded on in the same principles and values.

&quot;These values are called respect, mutual support at times of danger, but also commitment to democracy, the defence of freedoms, equality between men and women, the dignity of being a human being.&quot;

And, he added, the principle of offering asylum to those fleeing persecution was a core value shared in Europe and America too.

&#39;Obsolete&#39;

NATO &quot;will only become obsolete when threats become obsolete too,&quot; Hollande added tartly.

&quot;We are committed to our alliances, but we are also able to be self-sufficient strategically. This is what France has always defended, in the name of its independence, in total complementarity with NATO.&quot;

Separately, former French prime minister Manuel Valls said Trump&#39;s remarks amounted to a &quot;declaration of war on Europe,&quot; which the incoming US president &quot;quite simply suggests should break up.&quot;

&quot;Many people thought that Donald Trump, after his election, would calm down. But they forget that a populist may want to implement his programme,&quot; Valls told BFMTV news channel.

&quot;The only response to Donald Trump is European unity,&quot; said Valls.&nbsp;

&quot;Europe is far too divided but there is a joint awareness... we need a very strong response from Europe, France and Germany.&quot;

Valls, 54, quit Hollande&#39;s government last month to stand as a candidate in the Socialist Party&#39;s primary ahead presidential elections due in April.

He is struggling to garner support among grassroots Socialist voters over rightward shifts in policy he took during his two years and eight months in office.

(AFP)

Europe has been weakened by its policy on migrants, Trump had said, praising Britain's decision to leave the EU

French President Francois Hollande replied bluntly on Monday to Donald Trump's criticism of the European Union, saying the EU "has no need for outside advice" on its affairs. "I say it here, Europe will always be willing to pursue transatlantic cooperation, but it will determine its path on the basis of its own interests and values," Hollande said at a ceremony in Paris for outgoing US ambassador Jane Hartley. "It has no need for outside advice to tell it what it has to do." In a hard-hitting interview published on Sunday by The Times of London and Germany's Bild, the US president-elect praised Britain's vote to leave the EU and said Europe had been weakened by its policy on migrants. He criticised as "catastrophic" Germany's decision to open its borders to Syrian refugees, hailed Brexit as "a great thing" and predicted other countries would follow Britain in leaving the EU. "(...) If refugees keep pouring into different parts of Europe... I think it's gonna be very hard to keep it together because people are angry about it," said Trump. Trump also said NATO was "obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago... (and isn't) taking care of terror." He also noted that only a small number of its 28 members met a commitment on levels of military spending. Taking aim at Trump but without naming him, Hollande said relations between Europe and the United States "have always been founded on in the same principles and values. "These values are called respect, mutual support at times of danger, but also commitment to democracy, the defence of freedoms, equality between men and women, the dignity of being a human being." And, he added, the principle of offering asylum to those fleeing persecution was a core value shared in Europe and America too. 'Obsolete' NATO "will only become obsolete when threats become obsolete too," Hollande added tartly. "We are committed to our alliances, but we are also able to be self-sufficient strategically. This is what France has always defended, in the name of its independence, in total complementarity with NATO." Separately, former French prime minister Manuel Valls said Trump's remarks amounted to a "declaration of war on Europe," which the incoming US president "quite simply suggests should break up." "Many people thought that Donald Trump, after his election, would calm down. But they forget that a populist may want to implement his programme," Valls told BFMTV news channel. "The only response to Donald Trump is European unity," said Valls. "Europe is far too divided but there is a joint awareness... we need a very strong response from Europe, France and Germany." Valls, 54, quit Hollande's government last month to stand as a candidate in the Socialist Party's primary ahead presidential elections due in April. He is struggling to garner support among grassroots Socialist voters over rightward shifts in policy he took during his two years and eight months in office. (AFP)

EU 'has no need for outside advice,' France's Hollande responds to Trump's criticism

US President-elect Donald Trump said that Brexit would turn out to be a great thing and other countries would follow Britain out of the European Union but promised to strike a swift bilateral trade deal with the United Kingdom.

Speaking in an interview with The Times of London newspaper five days before his inauguration, Trump described himself as a big fan of Britain and endorsed last year&#39;s vote to leave the European Union.

&quot;I think Brexit is going to end up being a great thing,&quot; Trump said. &quot;I&rsquo;ll tell you, the fact that your pound sterling has gone down? Great. Because business is unbelievable in a lot of parts in the UK.&quot; The June 23 vote took many investors and chief executives by surprise, triggering the deepest political and financial turmoil in Britain since World War II and the biggest ever one-day fall in sterling against the dollar.&nbsp;Sterling has since fallen further against the US&nbsp;dollar as traders, businesses and investors fret about the type of relationship Britain will have with its biggest single trading partner after it leaves the European Union.

Trump&#39;s election campaign seized on the Brexit vote as an example of disillusioned voters rising up against the political establishment, and he forged a friendship with leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage - a fierce critic of Prime Minister Theresa May.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s election has raised questions over the future of the so-called &#39;special relationship&#39; that has underpinned close British-American ties for decades.&nbsp;But in the Times&nbsp;interview Trump played up his ancestral ties to Britain, saying his Scottish mother was &quot;so proud&quot; of Queen Elizabeth, and said he was eager to get a trade deal done.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly. Good for both sides,&rdquo; Trump said. &ldquo;I will be meeting with May. She&rsquo;s requesting a meeting and we&rsquo;ll have a meeting right after I get into the White House. We&rsquo;re going to get something done very quickly.&rdquo;

However, he predicted that more countries would seek to follow Britain&#39;s example and quit the EU.

&quot;I believe others will leave,&quot; he said. &quot;If refugees keep pouring into different parts of Europe . . . I think it&rsquo;s going to&nbsp;be very hard to keep it together because people are angry about it.&quot;

He singled out German Chancellor Angela Merkel - whose open-door policies have allowed about 1.1 million refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere into Germany since mid-2015 - calling her immigration policy a catastrophic mistake.

US President-elect Donald Trump said other countries would follow Britain out of the European Union

US President-elect Donald Trump said that Brexit would turn out to be a great thing and other countries would follow Britain out of the European Union but promised to strike a swift bilateral trade deal with the United Kingdom. Speaking in an interview with The Times of London newspaper five days before his inauguration, Trump described himself as a big fan of Britain and endorsed last year's vote to leave the European Union. "I think Brexit is going to end up being a great thing," Trump said. "I’ll tell you, the fact that your pound sterling has gone down? Great. Because business is unbelievable in a lot of parts in the UK." The June 23 vote took many investors and chief executives by surprise, triggering the deepest political and financial turmoil in Britain since World War II and the biggest ever one-day fall in sterling against the dollar. Sterling has since fallen further against the US dollar as traders, businesses and investors fret about the type of relationship Britain will have with its biggest single trading partner after it leaves the European Union. Trump's election campaign seized on the Brexit vote as an example of disillusioned voters rising up against the political establishment, and he forged a friendship with leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage - a fierce critic of Prime Minister Theresa May. Trump's election has raised questions over the future of the so-called 'special relationship' that has underpinned close British-American ties for decades. But in the Times interview Trump played up his ancestral ties to Britain, saying his Scottish mother was "so proud" of Queen Elizabeth, and said he was eager to get a trade deal done. “We’re going to work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly. Good for both sides,” Trump said. “I will be meeting with May. She’s requesting a meeting and we’ll have a meeting right after I get into the White House. We’re going to get something done very quickly.” However, he predicted that more countries would seek to follow Britain's example and quit the EU. "I believe others will leave," he said. "If refugees keep pouring into different parts of Europe . . . I think it’s going to be very hard to keep it together because people are angry about it." He singled out German Chancellor Angela Merkel - whose open-door policies have allowed about 1.1 million refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere into Germany since mid-2015 - calling her immigration policy a catastrophic mistake.

Brexit a great thing, EU countries may follow Britain: Trump

Chancellor Angela Merkel made a &quot;catastrophic mistake&quot; in letting migrants flood into Germany, US President-elect Donald Trump said in a newspaper interview on Sunday.

He blamed the refugee crisis for being the &quot;straw that broke the camel&#39;s back&quot; and triggered Britain&#39;s vote last year to leave the European Union.

&quot;I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know, taking all of the people from wherever they come from,&quot; Trump said in an interview with The Times of London and Germany&#39;s Bild, adding he had &quot;great respect&quot; for the chancellor.

Some 890,000 migrants, many of them fleeing war in Syria, entered Germany in 2015 after Merkel opened her country&#39;s doors in response to massive pressure on countries along the so-called &quot;Balkan route&quot; into western Europe.

The mass arrivals prompted an initial mass outpouring of support, but fear about the consequences has also driven anti-immigrant party Alternative for Germany to between 10 and 15 per cent in polls.

One MP deserted Merkel&#39;s centre-right Christian Democratic Union this weekend over her refugee policy, as the Chancellor tees up a re-election bid later this year.

Trump said that he would start out &quot;trusting both&quot; Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

&quot;Let&#39;s see how long that lasts, may not last long at all,&quot; he went on.

While he allowed that Merkel was a &quot;fantastic leader,&quot; the Republican said that Germany had &quot;got a clear impression&quot; of the consequences of her policy from a deadly December 19 terrorist attack in Berlin in which a hijacked truck was used to mow down Christmas market patrons, killing 12.

Berlin suspect Anis Amri, a Tunisian national, entered Europe via Italy in 2011 and served a four-year prison sentence there before allegedly carrying out the attack.

Trump also argued that the mass arrivals in 2015 were &quot;the final straw that broke the camel&#39;s back&quot; in convincing British voters to back leaving the European Union in a June 24 referendum.

Pro-Leave campaigners warned in the wake of the crisis that refugees would flood into the UK, producing a poster showing a crowd of Middle Eastern men under the words &quot;Breaking Point&quot;.

Britons were wise to choose to leave the 28-member union, Trump said, arguing that it was a &quot;basically a vehicle for Germany.&quot;

&quot;Other countries will leave&quot; the European Union in future, Trump prophesied

(AFP)

He blamed the refugee crisis for being the 'straw that broke the camel's back' and triggered Britain's vote to leave the EU

Chancellor Angela Merkel made a "catastrophic mistake" in letting migrants flood into Germany, US President-elect Donald Trump said in a newspaper interview on Sunday. He blamed the refugee crisis for being the "straw that broke the camel's back" and triggered Britain's vote last year to leave the European Union. "I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know, taking all of the people from wherever they come from," Trump said in an interview with The Times of London and Germany's Bild, adding he had "great respect" for the chancellor. Some 890,000 migrants, many of them fleeing war in Syria, entered Germany in 2015 after Merkel opened her country's doors in response to massive pressure on countries along the so-called "Balkan route" into western Europe. The mass arrivals prompted an initial mass outpouring of support, but fear about the consequences has also driven anti-immigrant party Alternative for Germany to between 10 and 15 per cent in polls. One MP deserted Merkel's centre-right Christian Democratic Union this weekend over her refugee policy, as the Chancellor tees up a re-election bid later this year. Trump said that he would start out "trusting both" Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Let's see how long that lasts, may not last long at all," he went on. While he allowed that Merkel was a "fantastic leader," the Republican said that Germany had "got a clear impression" of the consequences of her policy from a deadly December 19 terrorist attack in Berlin in which a hijacked truck was used to mow down Christmas market patrons, killing 12. Berlin suspect Anis Amri, a Tunisian national, entered Europe via Italy in 2011 and served a four-year prison sentence there before allegedly carrying out the attack. Trump also argued that the mass arrivals in 2015 were "the final straw that broke the camel's back" in convincing British voters to back leaving the European Union in a June 24 referendum. Pro-Leave campaigners warned in the wake of the crisis that refugees would flood into the UK, producing a poster showing a crowd of Middle Eastern men under the words "Breaking Point". Britons were wise to choose to leave the 28-member union, Trump said, arguing that it was a "basically a vehicle for Germany." "Other countries will leave" the European Union in future, Trump prophesied (AFP)

Donald Trump: Merkel made 'catastrophic mistake' by letting migrants in

Britain warned Sunday it might undercut the EU economically if it cannot obtain both single market access and immigration controls, as Prime Minister Theresa May prepared her big Brexit strategy speech.

Britain would be forced to &quot;change our economic model&quot; in order to remain competitive if it is shut out from access to the single market, finance minister Philip Hammond said.

His intervention came as newspapers said May was planning a clean divorce from the European Union when she sets out her Brexit strategy in a major speech on Tuesday.

May aims to launch two years of EU departure negotiations when she triggers the Article 50 exit process by the end of March, although a legal challenge is still pending before the country&#39;s Supreme Court.

She has been under pressure to reveal her proposals for the talks that will establish the future relationship between Britain and the EU.

Matching reports in several weekly newspapers said she was prepared to accept a so-called &quot;hard Brexit&quot;: pulling out of the single market, the European customs union and the European Court of Justice, in order to regain control of EU immigration.

Red line on immigration

Hammond, in an interview with Germany&#39;s Welt am Sonntag newspaper, said Britain could not compromise on the main message from the June referendum vote to leave the EU: stemming the flow of immigrants from the bloc.

EU citizens would be free to travel to Britain and do business there -- but the debate was over the right to work, settle and set up businesses, he said.

&quot;Clearly we need people to come and work in our economy to keep it functioning,&quot; the chancellor of the Exchequer said.

But as for having no control, &quot;that has to stop&quot;.

He hinted that London was ready to push through aggressive cuts to business taxes to ensure British-based firms remained competitive in the face of EU tariffs.

Hammond said he wanted Britain to remain a &quot;recognisably European-style economy with European-style taxation systems, European-style regulation systems.&quot;

However, London would have to change course &quot;if we are forced&quot;, in order to &quot;regain competitiveness&quot;.

&quot;The British people are not going to lie down and say, too bad,&quot; he said, adding &quot;we could be forced to change our economic model and we will have to change our model to regain competitiveness. And you can be sure we will do whatever we have to do&quot;.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told BBC television that the government&#39;s plans seemed like an unwise &quot;recipe for some kind of trade war with Europe&quot;.

Stop the &#39;insults&#39; plea

In Tuesday&#39;s speech, May will call for Britain to unite and get behind Brexit, pleading for an end to the &quot;insults&quot; and rancour between Leavers and Remainers, Downing Street said.

The speech would call on Britain to &quot;set aside old divisions, and unite to make a success of Brexit&quot;, said May&#39;s office.

May has revealed little so far on her negotiating position.

The Sunday Telegraph quoted a government source as saying: &quot;She&#39;s gone for the full works. People will know when she said &#39;Brexit means Brexit&#39;, she really meant it.&quot;

Hammond said he was expecting to start &quot;substantive negotiations&quot; just weeks after Article 50 is triggered.

&quot;We are ambitious to do this as quickly as possible,&quot; he said, and &quot;move seamlessly&quot; to the new arrangement in 2019, though there could be an &quot;interim period&quot; before it kicks in.

Bookmakers believe May will not trigger Article 50 by the end of March. The Supreme Court is considering an appeal against an earlier ruling that she cannot do so without the assent of parliament in London.

The EU&#39;s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned Saturday the bloc must be aware of the risk to financial stability during what are expected to be very tough talks with Britain.

(AFP)

Britain will change its economic model if it is shut out from access to the single market

Britain warned Sunday it might undercut the EU economically if it cannot obtain both single market access and immigration controls, as Prime Minister Theresa May prepared her big Brexit strategy speech. Britain would be forced to "change our economic model" in order to remain competitive if it is shut out from access to the single market, finance minister Philip Hammond said. His intervention came as newspapers said May was planning a clean divorce from the European Union when she sets out her Brexit strategy in a major speech on Tuesday. May aims to launch two years of EU departure negotiations when she triggers the Article 50 exit process by the end of March, although a legal challenge is still pending before the country's Supreme Court. She has been under pressure to reveal her proposals for the talks that will establish the future relationship between Britain and the EU. Matching reports in several weekly newspapers said she was prepared to accept a so-called "hard Brexit": pulling out of the single market, the European customs union and the European Court of Justice, in order to regain control of EU immigration. Red line on immigration Hammond, in an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper, said Britain could not compromise on the main message from the June referendum vote to leave the EU: stemming the flow of immigrants from the bloc. EU citizens would be free to travel to Britain and do business there -- but the debate was over the right to work, settle and set up businesses, he said. "Clearly we need people to come and work in our economy to keep it functioning," the chancellor of the Exchequer said. But as for having no control, "that has to stop". He hinted that London was ready to push through aggressive cuts to business taxes to ensure British-based firms remained competitive in the face of EU tariffs. Hammond said he wanted Britain to remain a "recognisably European-style economy with European-style taxation systems, European-style regulation systems." However, London would have to change course "if we are forced", in order to "regain competitiveness". "The British people are not going to lie down and say, too bad," he said, adding "we could be forced to change our economic model and we will have to change our model to regain competitiveness. And you can be sure we will do whatever we have to do". Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told BBC television that the government's plans seemed like an unwise "recipe for some kind of trade war with Europe". Stop the 'insults' plea In Tuesday's speech, May will call for Britain to unite and get behind Brexit, pleading for an end to the "insults" and rancour between Leavers and Remainers, Downing Street said. The speech would call on Britain to "set aside old divisions, and unite to make a success of Brexit", said May's office. May has revealed little so far on her negotiating position. The Sunday Telegraph quoted a government source as saying: "She's gone for the full works. People will know when she said 'Brexit means Brexit', she really meant it." Hammond said he was expecting to start "substantive negotiations" just weeks after Article 50 is triggered. "We are ambitious to do this as quickly as possible," he said, and "move seamlessly" to the new arrangement in 2019, though there could be an "interim period" before it kicks in. Bookmakers believe May will not trigger Article 50 by the end of March. The Supreme Court is considering an appeal against an earlier ruling that she cannot do so without the assent of parliament in London. The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned Saturday the bloc must be aware of the risk to financial stability during what are expected to be very tough talks with Britain. (AFP)

Britain threatens to undercut EU if Brexit plans fail

Britain could change its economic model to regain competitiveness if it were to leave the European Union without an agreement on market access, British finance minister Philip Hammond said in a German newspaper interview published on Sunday.

In a thinly veiled threat that Britain could use its corporate tax as a form of leverage in Brexit negotiations, Hammond told Welt am Sonntag he hoped Britain would remain a European-style economy with corresponding tax and regulation systems.

&quot;But if we are forced to be something different, then we will have to become something different,&quot; Hammond said when asked directly about Britain&#39;s plans to lower corporate tax.

&quot;If we have no access to the European market, if we are closed off, if Britain were to leave the European Union without an agreement on market access, then we could suffer from economic damage at least in the short-term,&quot; he said.

&quot;In this case, we could be forced to change our economic model and we will have to change our model to regain competitiveness,&quot; Hammond said. &quot;We will change our model, and we will come back, and we will be competitively engaged.&quot;

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the EU must consider limiting Britain&#39;s access to its market if London fails to accept the bloc&#39;s &#39;four freedoms&#39; in Brexit negotiations.

The EU&#39;s single market emerged from the 1992 Maastricht Treaty on European integration. This enshrines the EU&#39;s &quot;four freedoms&quot; - of movement of goods, capital, people, and services.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly said she will not reveal her Brexit negotiating strategy before triggering Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, a step expected by the end of March.

May has said she wants Britain to regain control over immigration, restore its sovereignty and also establish the best possible trading relations with the EU.

But senior EU leaders have warned Britain there could be no &quot;cherry picking&quot;, and Merkel has urged the 27 remaining EU states not to allow themselves to be divided.

Hammond said in the interview Britain had not taken a firm position yet on what form of immigration controls it wants.

&quot;But we are aware that the message from the referendum is that we must control our immigration policy,&quot; he added.

Hammond said Britain did not want to close its doors completely to EU citizens who wanted to work in the UK.

&quot;Clearly we need people to come and work in our economy to keep it functioning,&quot; Hammond said. &quot;But we must have overall control.&quot;

(Reuters)

Theresa May has repeatedly said she will not reveal her Brexit negotiating strategy before triggering Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty

Britain could change its economic model to regain competitiveness if it were to leave the European Union without an agreement on market access, British finance minister Philip Hammond said in a German newspaper interview published on Sunday. In a thinly veiled threat that Britain could use its corporate tax as a form of leverage in Brexit negotiations, Hammond told Welt am Sonntag he hoped Britain would remain a European-style economy with corresponding tax and regulation systems. "But if we are forced to be something different, then we will have to become something different," Hammond said when asked directly about Britain's plans to lower corporate tax. "If we have no access to the European market, if we are closed off, if Britain were to leave the European Union without an agreement on market access, then we could suffer from economic damage at least in the short-term," he said. "In this case, we could be forced to change our economic model and we will have to change our model to regain competitiveness," Hammond said. "We will change our model, and we will come back, and we will be competitively engaged." German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the EU must consider limiting Britain's access to its market if London fails to accept the bloc's 'four freedoms' in Brexit negotiations. The EU's single market emerged from the 1992 Maastricht Treaty on European integration. This enshrines the EU's "four freedoms" - of movement of goods, capital, people, and services. British Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly said she will not reveal her Brexit negotiating strategy before triggering Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, a step expected by the end of March. May has said she wants Britain to regain control over immigration, restore its sovereignty and also establish the best possible trading relations with the EU. But senior EU leaders have warned Britain there could be no "cherry picking", and Merkel has urged the 27 remaining EU states not to allow themselves to be divided. Hammond said in the interview Britain had not taken a firm position yet on what form of immigration controls it wants. "But we are aware that the message from the referendum is that we must control our immigration policy," he added. Hammond said Britain did not want to close its doors completely to EU citizens who wanted to work in the UK. "Clearly we need people to come and work in our economy to keep it functioning," Hammond said. "But we must have overall control." (Reuters)

Britain to change 'economic model' if it leaves EU without market access, says finance minister

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday it was wrong to say she was talking about a &quot;hard Brexit&quot;, after the pound fell to two-month lows following an interview she gave on Sunday.

The pound dropped after traders felt May had indicated during the interview that Britain would dramatically rework trade ties with the EU after Brexit.

Asked if her comments had been interpreted wrongly, May said: &quot;I&#39;m tempted to say that the people who are getting it wrong are those who print things saying I`m talking about a hard Brexit, (that) it is absolutely inevitable there`s a hard Brexit.&quot;

&quot;I don`t accept the terms hard and soft Brexit. What we&#39;re doing is going to get an ambitious, good and best possible deal for the United Kingdom in terms of ... trading with and operating within the single European market,&quot; she added.

(Reuters)

The Pound fell to two-month lows after May's interview indicated that Britain will dramatically rework trade-ties with the European Union

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday it was wrong to say she was talking about a "hard Brexit", after the pound fell to two-month lows following an interview she gave on Sunday. The pound dropped after traders felt May had indicated during the interview that Britain would dramatically rework trade ties with the EU after Brexit. Asked if her comments had been interpreted wrongly, May said: "I'm tempted to say that the people who are getting it wrong are those who print things saying I`m talking about a hard Brexit, (that) it is absolutely inevitable there`s a hard Brexit." "I don`t accept the terms hard and soft Brexit. What we're doing is going to get an ambitious, good and best possible deal for the United Kingdom in terms of ... trading with and operating within the single European market," she added. (Reuters)

British Prime Minister Theresa May seeks to allay fears about 'hard' Brexit

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday she would set out her strategy for Brexit over the coming weeks, denying suggestions she was &quot;muddled&quot; in the pursuit of what she called the right relationship with the EU.

In her first interview of the year, May ignored growing calls from business leaders, lawmakers and opposition leaders for more detail on her strategy to leave the European Union, offering little beyond a pledge to get the best possible deal.

She repeated that what is a crucial issue on both sides of the EU debate - whether curbing immigration into Britain will be prioritised over preferential access to the bloc&#39;s single market - was not a &quot;binary choice&quot; and said that the country would not be keeping &quot;bits&quot; of EU membership.

&quot;First of all I will be setting out some more details in the coming weeks as we look ahead to triggering Article 50,&quot; she said, referring to the start of the formal divorce procedure that she will invoke before the end of March.

&quot;But what I am saying is that I think it is wrong to look at this as just a binary issue, as to either you have control of immigration or you have a good trade deal - I don&#39;t see it as a binary issue.&quot;

EU officials say Britain cannot have access to its single market of 500 million consumers without accepting the principle of free movement and have repeatedly warned May against trying to &quot;cherry pick&quot; the profitable parts of their union.

May said she was aiming for &quot;an ambitious deal&quot;, shrugging off a suggestion by Britain&#39;s former ambassador to the EU, Ivan Rogers, that her government was &quot;muddled&quot; in its approach to some of the most complicated negotiations the country has held since World War Two.

&quot;Our thinking on this isn&#39;t muddled at all,&quot; she said.

&quot;What I am talking about is getting the right relationship for the UK with the EU. We mustn&#39;t think about this as somehow we are coming out of membership but we want to keep bits of membership.&quot;

But beyond stating that she would provide more detail in the coming weeks, May offered little further insight into her strategy - something that the first minister for Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, described as &quot;unacceptable&quot;.

&quot;I don&#39;t feel as if I know any more about her negotiating objectives today than I did six months ago, and probably what&#39;s more worrying than that, I&#39;m not sure she knows more about her negotiating objectives than she did back then as well,&quot; Sturgeon told the BBC.

Increasingly under fire, May, appointed prime minister after Britain&#39;s EU referendum in June, will use a speech on Monday to try to switch the focus from Brexit to her vision of a &quot;shared society&quot; which protects those families who are just managing.

&quot;We must...deliver real social reform across every layer of society so that those who feel that the system is stacked against them - those just above the threshold that attracts the government&#39;s focus today yet those who are by no means rich or well off - are also given the help they need,&quot; she will say.

(Reuters)

May ignored growing calls from business leaders, lawmakers and opposition leaders for more detail on her Brexit strategy

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday she would set out her strategy for Brexit over the coming weeks, denying suggestions she was "muddled" in the pursuit of what she called the right relationship with the EU. In her first interview of the year, May ignored growing calls from business leaders, lawmakers and opposition leaders for more detail on her strategy to leave the European Union, offering little beyond a pledge to get the best possible deal. She repeated that what is a crucial issue on both sides of the EU debate - whether curbing immigration into Britain will be prioritised over preferential access to the bloc's single market - was not a "binary choice" and said that the country would not be keeping "bits" of EU membership. "First of all I will be setting out some more details in the coming weeks as we look ahead to triggering Article 50," she said, referring to the start of the formal divorce procedure that she will invoke before the end of March. "But what I am saying is that I think it is wrong to look at this as just a binary issue, as to either you have control of immigration or you have a good trade deal - I don't see it as a binary issue." EU officials say Britain cannot have access to its single market of 500 million consumers without accepting the principle of free movement and have repeatedly warned May against trying to "cherry pick" the profitable parts of their union. May said she was aiming for "an ambitious deal", shrugging off a suggestion by Britain's former ambassador to the EU, Ivan Rogers, that her government was "muddled" in its approach to some of the most complicated negotiations the country has held since World War Two. "Our thinking on this isn't muddled at all," she said. "What I am talking about is getting the right relationship for the UK with the EU. We mustn't think about this as somehow we are coming out of membership but we want to keep bits of membership." But beyond stating that she would provide more detail in the coming weeks, May offered little further insight into her strategy - something that the first minister for Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, described as "unacceptable". "I don't feel as if I know any more about her negotiating objectives today than I did six months ago, and probably what's more worrying than that, I'm not sure she knows more about her negotiating objectives than she did back then as well," Sturgeon told the BBC. Increasingly under fire, May, appointed prime minister after Britain's EU referendum in June, will use a speech on Monday to try to switch the focus from Brexit to her vision of a "shared society" which protects those families who are just managing. "We must...deliver real social reform across every layer of society so that those who feel that the system is stacked against them - those just above the threshold that attracts the government's focus today yet those who are by no means rich or well off - are also given the help they need," she will say. (Reuters)

Britain will not keep 'bits' of EU membership: PM Theresa May

More than half a million South Koreans marked New Year&#39;s Eve with a massive protest Saturday calling for the immediate arrest and ouster of impeached President Park Geun-Hye.

Candle-carrying and banner-waving protestors marched towards key buildings in Seoul including the presidential Blue House and the prime minister&#39;s office.

Police figures were unavailable but organisers estimated crowd numbers to be more than 600,000.

&quot;Park Geun-Hye step down. Go to prison now,&quot; they chanted.

Parliament voted on December 9 to impeach Park over a corruption scandal in which she allegedly colluded with her friend, Choi Soon-Sil, to wrest donations from large conglomerates to two dubious foundations.

The case is now being considered by the Constitutional Court, which has up to 180 days to rule on the impeachment.

&quot;I came here to help usher in a new year that has no Park Geun-Hye&quot;, Kang Jae-Chun, who was at the protest with his two children, told AFP.

Demonstrators also planned to take part in a midnight ceremony in which a large bronze bell in the city centre is rung to herald in the new year.

It was the tenth protest calling for Park&#39;s immediate departure from office.

But Park, who has been suspended from her duties since the impeachment vote, has remained defiant, declaring she will wait until the Constitutional Court arrives at a decision.

Earlier on Saturday, former health minister Moon Hyung-Pyo was arrested under a court order in a widening probe to determine whether Park and Choi took bribes from businesses including Samsung.

Moon, who is now head of the National Pension Service (NPS), admitted to pressuring the state-run fund to back a controversial merger of two Samsung units &nbsp;-- &nbsp;Cheil Industries and Samsung C&amp;T -- last year when he served as health minister.

The acquisition was seen as a crucial step to ensure a smooth father-to-son power transfer to Lee Jae-Yong, scion of Samsung&#39;s founding family.

Critics said it undervalued Samsung C&amp;T stock but NPS -- the world&#39;s third largest public pension fund and a major Samsung shareholder -- backed the deal, allegedly incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in losses for NPS subscribers.

Investigators reportedly plan to question Lee next month to determine whether he told Samsung Electronics executives to funnel millions of dollars into questionable foundations and companies controlled by Choi in return for NPS&#39; backing.

Lee said at a parliamentary hearing this month he was not aware of the money transfers. 
 
(AFP)

Tim Barrow replaces Ivan Rogers who quit criticising Brexit preparation

More than half a million South Koreans marked New Year's Eve with a massive protest Saturday calling for the immediate arrest and ouster of impeached President Park Geun-Hye. Candle-carrying and banner-waving protestors marched towards key buildings in Seoul including the presidential Blue House and the prime minister's office. Police figures were unavailable but organisers estimated crowd numbers to be more than 600,000. "Park Geun-Hye step down. Go to prison now," they chanted. Parliament voted on December 9 to impeach Park over a corruption scandal in which she allegedly colluded with her friend, Choi Soon-Sil, to wrest donations from large conglomerates to two dubious foundations. The case is now being considered by the Constitutional Court, which has up to 180 days to rule on the impeachment. "I came here to help usher in a new year that has no Park Geun-Hye", Kang Jae-Chun, who was at the protest with his two children, told AFP. Demonstrators also planned to take part in a midnight ceremony in which a large bronze bell in the city centre is rung to herald in the new year. It was the tenth protest calling for Park's immediate departure from office. But Park, who has been suspended from her duties since the impeachment vote, has remained defiant, declaring she will wait until the Constitutional Court arrives at a decision. Earlier on Saturday, former health minister Moon Hyung-Pyo was arrested under a court order in a widening probe to determine whether Park and Choi took bribes from businesses including Samsung. Moon, who is now head of the National Pension Service (NPS), admitted to pressuring the state-run fund to back a controversial merger of two Samsung units -- Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T -- last year when he served as health minister. The acquisition was seen as a crucial step to ensure a smooth father-to-son power transfer to Lee Jae-Yong, scion of Samsung's founding family. Critics said it undervalued Samsung C&T stock but NPS -- the world's third largest public pension fund and a major Samsung shareholder -- backed the deal, allegedly incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in losses for NPS subscribers. Investigators reportedly plan to question Lee next month to determine whether he told Samsung Electronics executives to funnel millions of dollars into questionable foundations and companies controlled by Choi in return for NPS' backing. Lee said at a parliamentary hearing this month he was not aware of the money transfers. (AFP)

Britain's Prime Minister May appoints new EU envoy

Britain&#39;s ambassador to the European Union, Ivan Rogers, has resigned less than three months before the UK is due to trigger the process to leave the bloc, a source told AFP.

Last month, he reportedly told British ministers that other EU countries believed it could take up to 10 years to negotiate a new trade arrangements with the departing UK.&nbsp;But Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s spokesman insisted a deal could be done within two years that would allow Britain to trade with and operate within the single European market.

Rogers headed the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union (UKRep), which represents Britain in negotiations that take place in the EU. &quot;His resignation is not a surprise for those who work with him,&quot; a European diplomat told AFP.

&quot;He was very competent, but not convinced by the Brexit decision and the British government line, leading the UK into an area of dangerous uncertainty.&quot;

In the June 2016 referendum, 52 per cent voted for Britain leave the EU.

May intends to trigger Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, giving formal notification of Britain&#39;s intention to leave the bloc, by the end of March. This begins a two-year countdown after which Britain will leave all the institutions and the single market unless alternative arrangements have been agreed.

&nbsp;

&#39;Not a good thing&#39;

Rogers had been in his post since November 2013, having previously served as prime minister David Cameron&#39;s Europe adviser since 2011.

Aled Williams, the former spokesman for Britain&#39;s EU embassy, said Rogers&#39; departure was a &quot;big loss&quot; to the Brexit negotiations. &quot;Not many Brits know the ins and outs of Brussels better than Sir Ivan,&quot; he said.

&quot;Sir Ivan never sugar-coated his advice: had the credibility to tell his political bosses how he saw it in Brussels.&quot;

Hilary Benn, who chairs parliament&#39;s Brexit scrutiny committee, told BBC radio the resignation was &quot;not a good thing&quot;.

&quot;The government will have to get its skates on to make sure there is a replacement in place so he or she can work with Sir Ivan in the transition, the handover,&quot; he said.

&quot;But the hard work is going to start very soon, because if Article 50 is triggered, as the government says it wishes to, by the end of March, then negotiations will probably begin shortly thereafter. And having a handover in the middle of that, depending on when exactly he goes, is not ideal.&quot;

&nbsp;

&#39;Too much of a pessimist&#39;&nbsp;

The office of Michel Barnier, chief Brexit negotiator on behalf of the European Commission, did not wish to comment. However, Arron Banks, who chaired the Leave.EU campaign group in the referendum, welcomed the resignation.

&quot;This is a man who claimed it could take up to 10 years to agree a Brexit deal,&quot; he said. &nbsp;&quot;He is far too much of a pessimist and yet another of the establishment&#39;s pro-EU old guard. He has at least done the honourable thing in resigning.&nbsp;It&#39;s time now for someone who is optimistic about the future that lies ahead for Brexit Britain. Enough talk, we need to get on with getting out.&quot;

(AFP)

Ivan Rogers was not convinced by the Brexit decision and the British government line, a European diplomat said

Britain's ambassador to the European Union, Ivan Rogers, has resigned less than three months before the UK is due to trigger the process to leave the bloc, a source told AFP. Last month, he reportedly told British ministers that other EU countries believed it could take up to 10 years to negotiate a new trade arrangements with the departing UK. But Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman insisted a deal could be done within two years that would allow Britain to trade with and operate within the single European market. Rogers headed the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union (UKRep), which represents Britain in negotiations that take place in the EU. "His resignation is not a surprise for those who work with him," a European diplomat told AFP. "He was very competent, but not convinced by the Brexit decision and the British government line, leading the UK into an area of dangerous uncertainty." In the June 2016 referendum, 52 per cent voted for Britain leave the EU. May intends to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, giving formal notification of Britain's intention to leave the bloc, by the end of March. This begins a two-year countdown after which Britain will leave all the institutions and the single market unless alternative arrangements have been agreed. 'Not a good thing' Rogers had been in his post since November 2013, having previously served as prime minister David Cameron's Europe adviser since 2011. Aled Williams, the former spokesman for Britain's EU embassy, said Rogers' departure was a "big loss" to the Brexit negotiations. "Not many Brits know the ins and outs of Brussels better than Sir Ivan," he said. "Sir Ivan never sugar-coated his advice: had the credibility to tell his political bosses how he saw it in Brussels." Hilary Benn, who chairs parliament's Brexit scrutiny committee, told BBC radio the resignation was "not a good thing". "The government will have to get its skates on to make sure there is a replacement in place so he or she can work with Sir Ivan in the transition, the handover," he said. "But the hard work is going to start very soon, because if Article 50 is triggered, as the government says it wishes to, by the end of March, then negotiations will probably begin shortly thereafter. And having a handover in the middle of that, depending on when exactly he goes, is not ideal." 'Too much of a pessimist' The office of Michel Barnier, chief Brexit negotiator on behalf of the European Commission, did not wish to comment. However, Arron Banks, who chaired the Leave.EU campaign group in the referendum, welcomed the resignation. "This is a man who claimed it could take up to 10 years to agree a Brexit deal," he said. "He is far too much of a pessimist and yet another of the establishment's pro-EU old guard. He has at least done the honourable thing in resigning. It's time now for someone who is optimistic about the future that lies ahead for Brexit Britain. Enough talk, we need to get on with getting out." (AFP)

Britain's EU ambassador quits months before Brexit negotiations

Britain&#39;s ambassador to the European Union has criticised London&#39;s serious lack of negotiating experience ahead of Brexit talks, hours after announcing his resignation on Tuesday.

Ivan Rogers stepped down from his role less than three months before Britain is due to begin talks to leave the bloc, cutting short his term which was due to end in October.

A highly-regarded diplomat, Rogers was criticised last month for saying it would take 10 years for Britain to conclude a trade deal with the EU.

In a lengthy resignation email to staff at UKRep, the office which represents Britain in negotiations in the EU, he urged colleagues to speak up even when their views were not welcome.

&quot;I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power.&nbsp;

&quot;I hope that you will support each other in those difficult moments where you have to deliver messages that are disagreeable to those who need to hear them,&quot; Rogers said in the note, published by The Times newspaper&#39;.

Rogers, who has held the post since November 2013 and previously served as prime minister David Cameron&#39;s Europe adviser, also criticised the British government&#39;s lack of preparation for the divorce proceedings.&nbsp;

&quot;Serious multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in Whitehall, and that is not the case in the Commission or in the Council,&quot; said Rogers, pinpointing a gap in preparedness for Brexit talks between the British government and EU institutions.

Britain voted 52 per cent in favour of leaving the bloc in the country&#39;s June 23 referendum and anti-EU campaigners have since claimed Rogers has a pessimistic view of Brexit.

But supporters of the outgoing EU envoy have meanwhile praised him for being a realist, with credibility gained from his lengthy experience.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(AFP)

Ivan Rogers stepped down from his role less than three months before Britain is due to begin talks to leave the EU

Britain's ambassador to the European Union has criticised London's serious lack of negotiating experience ahead of Brexit talks, hours after announcing his resignation on Tuesday. Ivan Rogers stepped down from his role less than three months before Britain is due to begin talks to leave the bloc, cutting short his term which was due to end in October. A highly-regarded diplomat, Rogers was criticised last month for saying it would take 10 years for Britain to conclude a trade deal with the EU. In a lengthy resignation email to staff at UKRep, the office which represents Britain in negotiations in the EU, he urged colleagues to speak up even when their views were not welcome. "I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power. "I hope that you will support each other in those difficult moments where you have to deliver messages that are disagreeable to those who need to hear them," Rogers said in the note, published by The Times newspaper'. Rogers, who has held the post since November 2013 and previously served as prime minister David Cameron's Europe adviser, also criticised the British government's lack of preparation for the divorce proceedings. "Serious multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in Whitehall, and that is not the case in the Commission or in the Council," said Rogers, pinpointing a gap in preparedness for Brexit talks between the British government and EU institutions. Britain voted 52 per cent in favour of leaving the bloc in the country's June 23 referendum and anti-EU campaigners have since claimed Rogers has a pessimistic view of Brexit. But supporters of the outgoing EU envoy have meanwhile praised him for being a realist, with credibility gained from his lengthy experience. (AFP)

Britain's EU ambassador quits, criticises Brexit preparations

While most of Scotland voted against leaving the European Union, whisky makers have quietly been raising a wee dram to a side-effect of the Brexit vote -- a plunge in the value of the Pound.

The currency devaluation has made exports cheaper, generating a bump since 90 per cent of Scotch whisky is sold outside Britain, although the industry warns the longer-term outlook is far more cloudy.

David Williamson, communications director for the Scotch Whisky Association, said: &quot;Because of the relative strength of the pound we&#39;re certainly getting anecdotal reports back from our member companies that has helped to boost exports.&quot;

And Tony Reeman-Clark, who runs the Strathearn Distillery in Perthshire -- a relative newcomer to the market -- said: &quot;I have been talking to people from bigger distilleries who said there has been a lot of interest, and a lot of sales, because of the weak pound.&quot;

Reeman-Clark, who is also the founder of the Scottish Craft Distillers Association, said Strathearn began producing whisky three years ago and its first 100 bottles were auctioned off on 1 December.

The first sold for 4,150 pounds to an Italian buyer, far exceeding Reeman-Clark&#39;s expectations.

He said he had received bids from as far away as &quot;Auckland, Beijing, Hong Kong, Israel, Germany, America, all over the world&quot;.

Since the shock June vote the Pound has tumbled about 15 per cent against the greenback and Graham Hutcheon, the operations director of distiller Edrington, said the industry was having a &quot;jamboree time&quot;. However, he urged the government to provide clarity on Brexit, Bloomberg news agency reported.

&quot;We don&#39;t know the questions to ask, let alone answer,&quot; said Hutcheon, whose company makes whiskies such as Macallan and The Famous Grouse.

More than 10,000 people are now directly employed in the industry -- up six per cent in the past three years - while a further 30,000 people are employed in its supply chain from bottling to distribution.

The main markets in the first half of this year were the US (357.4 million pounds), France (193.1 million pounds) and Singapore (99.6 million pounds), with total exports equivalent to 533 million bottles of whisky.

More than 500 million bottles worth around 1.7 billion pounds are exported from Britain every year. The full impact of Brexit is not expected to be revealed until distillers complete their annual returns in early 2017.

(AFP)

The Pound's devaluation has made exporting Scotch whisky cheaper, and 90% is sold outside Britain, but the long-term forecast is uncertain

While most of Scotland voted against leaving the European Union, whisky makers have quietly been raising a wee dram to a side-effect of the Brexit vote -- a plunge in the value of the Pound. The currency devaluation has made exports cheaper, generating a bump since 90 per cent of Scotch whisky is sold outside Britain, although the industry warns the longer-term outlook is far more cloudy. David Williamson, communications director for the Scotch Whisky Association, said: "Because of the relative strength of the pound we're certainly getting anecdotal reports back from our member companies that has helped to boost exports." And Tony Reeman-Clark, who runs the Strathearn Distillery in Perthshire -- a relative newcomer to the market -- said: "I have been talking to people from bigger distilleries who said there has been a lot of interest, and a lot of sales, because of the weak pound." Reeman-Clark, who is also the founder of the Scottish Craft Distillers Association, said Strathearn began producing whisky three years ago and its first 100 bottles were auctioned off on 1 December. The first sold for 4,150 pounds to an Italian buyer, far exceeding Reeman-Clark's expectations. He said he had received bids from as far away as "Auckland, Beijing, Hong Kong, Israel, Germany, America, all over the world". Since the shock June vote the Pound has tumbled about 15 per cent against the greenback and Graham Hutcheon, the operations director of distiller Edrington, said the industry was having a "jamboree time". However, he urged the government to provide clarity on Brexit, Bloomberg news agency reported. "We don't know the questions to ask, let alone answer," said Hutcheon, whose company makes whiskies such as Macallan and The Famous Grouse. More than 10,000 people are now directly employed in the industry -- up six per cent in the past three years - while a further 30,000 people are employed in its supply chain from bottling to distribution. The main markets in the first half of this year were the US (357.4 million pounds), France (193.1 million pounds) and Singapore (99.6 million pounds), with total exports equivalent to 533 million bottles of whisky. More than 500 million bottles worth around 1.7 billion pounds are exported from Britain every year. The full impact of Brexit is not expected to be revealed until distillers complete their annual returns in early 2017. (AFP)

In pro-EU Scotland, whisky makers cheer Brexit boon

A young British Muslim woman was forced to the ground&nbsp;in a crowded shopping area in London and dragged along by her hijab by two men last week.

Scotland Yard has appealed for information about the two teenage white males involved in the hate crime.&nbsp;

The woman, in her 20s was walking alone in east London&#39;s Chingford when she was attacked.&nbsp;

&quot;The London Ambulance Service attended and treated the victim, aged in her 20s, for her injuries at the scene. It was reported that two unknown males approached the victim from the side, pulled off her headscarf and then pushed her to the floor,&quot; Metropolitan Police said.&nbsp;

&quot;The suspects are described as two white males, aged 17 to 19. They were wearing all black clothing. No arrests have been made,&quot; it said.

A Met police spokesperson said: &quot;The service has long since recognised the impact of hate crime on communities and the hidden nature of this crime, which remains largely under-reported.&quot;

&quot;Positive action is taken to investigate all hate crime allegations, support victims and their families and bring perpetrators to justice.&quot;&nbsp;

UK&#39;s anti-Islamophobia group, Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) called the attack &quot;horrific&quot; and alleged that women were being disproportionately targeted in attacks on Muslims.

Data released by the UK National Police chief&#39;s council reported hate crimes rose to 58 per cent a week after Brexit.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Scotland Yard appealed for information about the two teenage white males involved in the hate crime

A young British Muslim woman was forced to the ground in a crowded shopping area in London and dragged along by her hijab by two men last week. Scotland Yard has appealed for information about the two teenage white males involved in the hate crime. The woman, in her 20s was walking alone in east London's Chingford when she was attacked. "The London Ambulance Service attended and treated the victim, aged in her 20s, for her injuries at the scene. It was reported that two unknown males approached the victim from the side, pulled off her headscarf and then pushed her to the floor," Metropolitan Police said. "The suspects are described as two white males, aged 17 to 19. They were wearing all black clothing. No arrests have been made," it said. A Met police spokesperson said: "The service has long since recognised the impact of hate crime on communities and the hidden nature of this crime, which remains largely under-reported." "Positive action is taken to investigate all hate crime allegations, support victims and their families and bring perpetrators to justice." UK's anti-Islamophobia group, Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) called the attack "horrific" and alleged that women were being disproportionately targeted in attacks on Muslims. Data released by the UK National Police chief's council reported hate crimes rose to 58 per cent a week after Brexit. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Muslim woman dragged by Hijab in London shopping area

In a symbolic victory, British Prime Minister Theresa May today won a vote in Parliament backing her timetable for negotiating Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union (EU).

MPs voted in the House of Commons 461 to 89 in favour of May triggering Article 50 by the end of March 2017, which will begin the formal process of exit negotiations from the 28-member economic bloc.

The win followed a compromise between Opposition Labour and the ruling Conservatives, which saw May committing to revealing the official plan for Brexit before the actual process begins, without committing to any detailed account.

The vote also supported a Labour motion calling for Parliament to &quot;properly scrutinise&quot; the government in its proposals for leaving the EU by 448 votes to 75 - a margin of 373.

Labour&#39;s Brexit spokesman, Sir Keir Starmer, has said his party would continue to challenge the government if its plan was &quot;not detailed enough&quot;.

He said: &quot;I think it&#39;s got to be pretty detailed, they&#39;ve got to set out what those objectives are. I don&#39;t think it needs to be in a particular form, but if it&#39;s not detailed enough they can expect further challenge.&quot;

Brexit Secretary David Davis responded: &quot;The simple fact is that the mandate (in June&#39;s referendum) was to leave the European Union - full stop. We need to keep that in mind when we are going through that process.

&quot;This is a negotiation; it&#39;s not a policy statement. And, therefore, where you are aiming for may not be the exact place you end up.&quot;

The debate today came after a procedural battle between the parties over the wording of the motion to be put to MPs. Mrs May had been refusing to provide a &quot;running commentary&quot; on Brexit after the UK voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June.

As the Supreme Court in London continues to hear a case to establish the extent of British PM?s power in launching into a Brexit without parliamentary approval, Downing Street put forward an amendment agreeing to publish a plan before triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Starmer described it as &quot;a welcome and hugely significant climbdown&quot;, while the government believes receiving this parliamentary backing for the timetable would avoid delays to the Brexit process.

The government&#39;s amendment was opposed by 23 Labour MPs and one Conservative - former chancellor Ken Clarke. Five Liberal Democrat MPs, three Welsh Plaid Cymru MPs and 51 SNP MPs also voted against it.

&nbsp;

(PTI)

Lawmakers voted 461 to 89 in favour of May triggering article 50 by end of March 2017, beginning the formal process of exit negotiations

In a symbolic victory, British Prime Minister Theresa May today won a vote in Parliament backing her timetable for negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union (EU). MPs voted in the House of Commons 461 to 89 in favour of May triggering Article 50 by the end of March 2017, which will begin the formal process of exit negotiations from the 28-member economic bloc. The win followed a compromise between Opposition Labour and the ruling Conservatives, which saw May committing to revealing the official plan for Brexit before the actual process begins, without committing to any detailed account. The vote also supported a Labour motion calling for Parliament to "properly scrutinise" the government in its proposals for leaving the EU by 448 votes to 75 - a margin of 373. Labour's Brexit spokesman, Sir Keir Starmer, has said his party would continue to challenge the government if its plan was "not detailed enough". He said: "I think it's got to be pretty detailed, they've got to set out what those objectives are. I don't think it needs to be in a particular form, but if it's not detailed enough they can expect further challenge." Brexit Secretary David Davis responded: "The simple fact is that the mandate (in June's referendum) was to leave the European Union - full stop. We need to keep that in mind when we are going through that process. "This is a negotiation; it's not a policy statement. And, therefore, where you are aiming for may not be the exact place you end up." The debate today came after a procedural battle between the parties over the wording of the motion to be put to MPs. Mrs May had been refusing to provide a "running commentary" on Brexit after the UK voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June. As the Supreme Court in London continues to hear a case to establish the extent of British PM?s power in launching into a Brexit without parliamentary approval, Downing Street put forward an amendment agreeing to publish a plan before triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Starmer described it as "a welcome and hugely significant climbdown", while the government believes receiving this parliamentary backing for the timetable would avoid delays to the Brexit process. The government's amendment was opposed by 23 Labour MPs and one Conservative - former chancellor Ken Clarke. Five Liberal Democrat MPs, three Welsh Plaid Cymru MPs and 51 SNP MPs also voted against it. (PTI)

British PM Theresa May wins Brexit timetable vote in parliament

Britain&#39;s Supreme Court began a&nbsp;historic hearing on Monday to decide whether parliament has to approve the government&#39;s Brexit negotiations, in a highly-charged case that could delay the country&#39;s EU exit.&nbsp;

For the first time ever, all 11 Supreme Court judges convened to hear a challenge by the government against a ruling that Prime Minister Theresa May must seek lawmakers&#39; approval before starting the process to leave the European Union.

The High Court ruled last month that the government did not have the executive power alone to invoke Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, formally starting an exit talks which could take two years.

The decision enraged Brexit supporters and some newspapers who accused judges of thwarting the will of the 52 percent who voted &quot;Leave&quot; in the June 23 referendum.

The vote for Britain to become the first country to leave the 28-nation bloc sent shockwaves across the world and emboldened populists in Europe and the United States.

Supreme Court president David Neuberger said people involved in the case had received threats and abuse and stressed that the judges would rule without any political bias after criticism from Brexit backers.

A parliamentary vote on Article 50 could open the door to pro-EU lawmakers delaying or softening Britain&#39;s withdrawal from the bloc.

&#39;Threats of violence&#39;

Neuberger said the judges were &quot;aware of the strong feelings&quot; surrounding Brexit but &quot;those wider political questions are not the subject of this appeal&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;This appeal is concerned with legal issues, and, as judges, our duty is to consider those issues impartially, and to decide the case according to the law. That is what we shall do,&quot; he told the court.

He said some parties involved in the case had received threats of &quot;serious violence and unpleasant abuse&quot;, warning that there were &quot;legal powers&quot; to deal with such threats.

Attorney General Jeremy Wright, the government&#39;s chief legal advisor, outlined the government&#39;s case at the start of the four-day, live-broadcast hearing, with a judgment expected in January.

In his opening statement, he said there was a &quot;universal expectation&quot; that the government would implement the referendum result.

He argued that the government had constitutional authority over foreign affairs, including the right to withdraw from treaties, under so-called &quot;royal prerogative powers&quot;.

The royal prerogative is &quot;not an ancient relic but a contemporary necessity,&quot; he said.

If it loses, the government is expected to introduce a short bill -- reportedly comprising just three lines of text -- which it will seek to push rapidly through parliament to authorise the triggering of Article 50.

&#39;Slowing down&#39; Brexit

May, who became Conservative prime minister after the Brexit vote, has insisted a parliamentary vote on the legislation would not disrupt her plans to trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017.

However, the opposition Labour Party delivered a blow to the government Saturday when it announced it would seek to amend any bill, potentially delaying the process.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the amendment would ensure that Britain retains access to the European single market and protect workers&#39; and environmental rights.

&quot;When the Article 50 debate comes up, we will put forward an amendment to it, which will be on the issues of market access and protections. We want those to be part of the negotiation,&quot; Corbyn told Sky News.

A spokesman for May&#39;s Conservative Party accused Labour of attempting to &quot;frustrate the will of the British people by slowing down the process... and trying to tie the government&#39;s hands&quot; in Brexit negotiations.

May faces a further potential complication at this week&#39;s hearing from representatives of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who will argue that Article 50 also needs to be approved by the devolved parliaments.

Such a ruling could further derail the prime minister&#39;s timetable and set up a stand-off between the nations.

Claimants in the case, led by investment fund manager Gina Miller, argue that triggering Article 50 would strip British citizens of certain rights established under European law -- which they say only parliament has the power to do.

Britain&#39;s foreign minister, Boris Johnson, voiced confidence in the government&#39;s case Sunday, telling the BBC: &quot;There is no history in any EU negotiations or any EU treaty talks of the House of Commons doing anything to fetter the discretion of the government.&quot;

However, legal expert Michael Zander, a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), said the government had little chance of winning, describing the original ruling as &quot;unanimous and very strong&quot;.

&quot;In my view, the government could be looking at losing 11-0,&quot; he wrote in legal magazine Counsel.

(AFP)

All 11 Supreme Court judges convened to hear the government's challenge against a ruling that PM May must seek lawmakers approval for Brexit

Britain's Supreme Court began a historic hearing on Monday to decide whether parliament has to approve the government's Brexit negotiations, in a highly-charged case that could delay the country's EU exit. For the first time ever, all 11 Supreme Court judges convened to hear a challenge by the government against a ruling that Prime Minister Theresa May must seek lawmakers' approval before starting the process to leave the European Union. The High Court ruled last month that the government did not have the executive power alone to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, formally starting an exit talks which could take two years. The decision enraged Brexit supporters and some newspapers who accused judges of thwarting the will of the 52 percent who voted "Leave" in the June 23 referendum. The vote for Britain to become the first country to leave the 28-nation bloc sent shockwaves across the world and emboldened populists in Europe and the United States. Supreme Court president David Neuberger said people involved in the case had received threats and abuse and stressed that the judges would rule without any political bias after criticism from Brexit backers. A parliamentary vote on Article 50 could open the door to pro-EU lawmakers delaying or softening Britain's withdrawal from the bloc. 'Threats of violence' Neuberger said the judges were "aware of the strong feelings" surrounding Brexit but "those wider political questions are not the subject of this appeal". "This appeal is concerned with legal issues, and, as judges, our duty is to consider those issues impartially, and to decide the case according to the law. That is what we shall do," he told the court. He said some parties involved in the case had received threats of "serious violence and unpleasant abuse", warning that there were "legal powers" to deal with such threats. Attorney General Jeremy Wright, the government's chief legal advisor, outlined the government's case at the start of the four-day, live-broadcast hearing, with a judgment expected in January. In his opening statement, he said there was a "universal expectation" that the government would implement the referendum result. He argued that the government had constitutional authority over foreign affairs, including the right to withdraw from treaties, under so-called "royal prerogative powers". The royal prerogative is "not an ancient relic but a contemporary necessity," he said. If it loses, the government is expected to introduce a short bill -- reportedly comprising just three lines of text -- which it will seek to push rapidly through parliament to authorise the triggering of Article 50. 'Slowing down' Brexit May, who became Conservative prime minister after the Brexit vote, has insisted a parliamentary vote on the legislation would not disrupt her plans to trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017. However, the opposition Labour Party delivered a blow to the government Saturday when it announced it would seek to amend any bill, potentially delaying the process. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the amendment would ensure that Britain retains access to the European single market and protect workers' and environmental rights. "When the Article 50 debate comes up, we will put forward an amendment to it, which will be on the issues of market access and protections. We want those to be part of the negotiation," Corbyn told Sky News. A spokesman for May's Conservative Party accused Labour of attempting to "frustrate the will of the British people by slowing down the process... and trying to tie the government's hands" in Brexit negotiations. May faces a further potential complication at this week's hearing from representatives of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who will argue that Article 50 also needs to be approved by the devolved parliaments. Such a ruling could further derail the prime minister's timetable and set up a stand-off between the nations. Claimants in the case, led by investment fund manager Gina Miller, argue that triggering Article 50 would strip British citizens of certain rights established under European law -- which they say only parliament has the power to do. Britain's foreign minister, Boris Johnson, voiced confidence in the government's case Sunday, telling the BBC: "There is no history in any EU negotiations or any EU treaty talks of the House of Commons doing anything to fetter the discretion of the government." However, legal expert Michael Zander, a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), said the government had little chance of winning, describing the original ruling as "unanimous and very strong". "In my view, the government could be looking at losing 11-0," he wrote in legal magazine Counsel. (AFP)

UK top court begins hearing on Brexit challenge

Britain&#39;s anti-EU&nbsp;UK Independence party (UKIP) elected a new leader Paul Nuttal to replace Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage.

A former history lecturer, Nuttal defeated former deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans and former soldier John Rees-Evans.

Nuttal pledged unity in the party and said he would make it the &quot;the voice of patriotic Britain&quot;.

&quot;The country needs a strong UKIP more now than ever before,&quot; he said, urging the party to keep pressuring the government for &quot;real Brexit&quot;.

Nuttall&nbsp;joined the UKIP in 2004 and was the party&#39;s deputy leader from 2010. He has been a Member of European Parliament (MEP) since 2009.

The 39-year-old from Liverpool played football&nbsp;for Tranmere Rovers in his youth.&nbsp;

He went on to be a lecturer at Liverpool Hope University.

The UKIP, a driving force behind the Brexit campaign, has been struggling with infighting for the last few months. Tensions within the party came out in the open after newly-elected party leader Diane James stepped down in October days after winning the leadership.

Farage had acted as interim leader in the intervening period.

Will not be backseat driver: Farage

In his farewell speech, Farage promised he would not be a &quot;backseat driver&quot; in the party but would complete his term as a European Parliament lawmaker till 2019.

Farage also claimed that the European project was now &quot;fatally weakened&quot; and said the UKIP was the leading eurosceptic group across the continent.

&quot;Be in no doubt that it is UKIP that is seen as the leading eurosceptic group across the entire continent,&quot; he said at a conference in London after the result of the party election was announced.

Since announcing his resignation following the EU referendum in June, Farage has ridden the wave of his campaign&#39;s success to the United States where he appeared at a Trump rally in Mississippi.

He was the first British politician to meet Trump after he was elected president. Trump even suggested his name for British ambassador to the US, ruffling feathers in 10 Downing Street, with British Prime Minister Theresa May retorting there was &quot;no vacancy.&quot;

UKIP emerged from the fringes of British politics after playing a key role in the push for a referendum on EU membership.

Advocating an anti-mass immigration agenda, the party scored the third-highest number of votes in the 2015 general election, taking 12.7 per cent of the vote.

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

Paul Nuttal asked the party to keep pressuring the government for 'real Brexit'

Britain's anti-EU UK Independence party (UKIP) elected a new leader Paul Nuttal to replace Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage. A former history lecturer, Nuttal defeated former deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans and former soldier John Rees-Evans. Nuttal pledged unity in the party and said he would make it the "the voice of patriotic Britain". "The country needs a strong UKIP more now than ever before," he said, urging the party to keep pressuring the government for "real Brexit". Nuttall joined the UKIP in 2004 and was the party's deputy leader from 2010. He has been a Member of European Parliament (MEP) since 2009. The 39-year-old from Liverpool played football for Tranmere Rovers in his youth. He went on to be a lecturer at Liverpool Hope University. The UKIP, a driving force behind the Brexit campaign, has been struggling with infighting for the last few months. Tensions within the party came out in the open after newly-elected party leader Diane James stepped down in October days after winning the leadership. Farage had acted as interim leader in the intervening period. Will not be backseat driver: Farage In his farewell speech, Farage promised he would not be a "backseat driver" in the party but would complete his term as a European Parliament lawmaker till 2019. Farage also claimed that the European project was now "fatally weakened" and said the UKIP was the leading eurosceptic group across the continent. "Be in no doubt that it is UKIP that is seen as the leading eurosceptic group across the entire continent," he said at a conference in London after the result of the party election was announced. Since announcing his resignation following the EU referendum in June, Farage has ridden the wave of his campaign's success to the United States where he appeared at a Trump rally in Mississippi. He was the first British politician to meet Trump after he was elected president. Trump even suggested his name for British ambassador to the US, ruffling feathers in 10 Downing Street, with British Prime Minister Theresa May retorting there was "no vacancy." UKIP emerged from the fringes of British politics after playing a key role in the push for a referendum on EU membership. Advocating an anti-mass immigration agenda, the party scored the third-highest number of votes in the 2015 general election, taking 12.7 per cent of the vote. (WION with inputs from AFP)

UK Independence Party elects new leader to replace Nigel Farage

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed suggestions on Saturday that Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union and the election of Donald Trump as US&nbsp;president would lead to Western powers withdrawing from engagement with the rest of the world.

Speaking during an overnight visit to Kabul that included meetings with President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Johnson said Britain remained committed to Afghanistan &quot;for the long haul&quot;.

As well as continued support for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission to train Afghan security forces, it was doing &quot;a hell of a lot&quot; for aid and development in Afghanistan, in areas like education, he said.

&quot;None of those will be affected by our relations with the treaties of the European Union, as you would expect,&quot; he said.

Britain&#39;s June 23 vote for &#39;Brexit&#39; and Trump&#39;s backing for an &quot;America First&quot; foreign policy have triggered alarm among some commentators who see signs of increasing isolationism among Western powers. However Johnson, one of the leaders of the pro-Brexit camp, rejected such fears.

&quot;If the question is do I think that the western world is going to start withdrawing or turning in on itself, then the answer is emphatically no, I don&#39;t think so,&quot; Johnson told reporters. &quot;That certainly won&#39;t be the situation with the United Kingdom.&quot;

&quot;We intend to be more engaged with the world, more outward-looking than ever before,&quot; he said.

&quot;I think we&#39;ll have to see how things pan out in Washington but I think that the interest of the United States in the security and stability of this part of the world will remain fundamental.&quot;

Johnson visited Kabul University, where he attended a performance of a scene from Shakespeare&#39;s tragedy Macbeth in Dari, as well as the British cemetery, with its memorial to more than 450 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

He said Britain could be proud of the sacrifices and achievements of its troops, despite the deteriorating situation in areas like Helmand, now in large part under Taliban control, where more British soldiers died than in any other province.

&quot;No one is sitting here and pretending that things are perfect but they are better by far than they were,&quot; he said.

&quot;There are many ways that in spite of all the difficulties and all the challenges, this place is better for the help that we have tried to give it over the years,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

Johnson said Britain's exit from the European Union will have no impact on its commitment with Afghanistan

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed suggestions on Saturday that Britain's exit from the European Union and the election of Donald Trump as US president would lead to Western powers withdrawing from engagement with the rest of the world. Speaking during an overnight visit to Kabul that included meetings with President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Johnson said Britain remained committed to Afghanistan "for the long haul". As well as continued support for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission to train Afghan security forces, it was doing "a hell of a lot" for aid and development in Afghanistan, in areas like education, he said. "None of those will be affected by our relations with the treaties of the European Union, as you would expect," he said. Britain's June 23 vote for 'Brexit' and Trump's backing for an "America First" foreign policy have triggered alarm among some commentators who see signs of increasing isolationism among Western powers. However Johnson, one of the leaders of the pro-Brexit camp, rejected such fears. "If the question is do I think that the western world is going to start withdrawing or turning in on itself, then the answer is emphatically no, I don't think so," Johnson told reporters. "That certainly won't be the situation with the United Kingdom." "We intend to be more engaged with the world, more outward-looking than ever before," he said. "I think we'll have to see how things pan out in Washington but I think that the interest of the United States in the security and stability of this part of the world will remain fundamental." Johnson visited Kabul University, where he attended a performance of a scene from Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth in Dari, as well as the British cemetery, with its memorial to more than 450 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan. He said Britain could be proud of the sacrifices and achievements of its troops, despite the deteriorating situation in areas like Helmand, now in large part under Taliban control, where more British soldiers died than in any other province. "No one is sitting here and pretending that things are perfect but they are better by far than they were," he said. "There are many ways that in spite of all the difficulties and all the challenges, this place is better for the help that we have tried to give it over the years," he said. (Reuters)

In Afghanistan, Britain's Johnson sees no sign of global retreat

Scotland has published legal documents to be sent to the British high court asking for a separate vote for Britain&#39;s withdrawal from the European Union, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

In its 58-page legal submissions, Scotland has argued that any parliamentary vote on Brexit will have a major impact on Scotland&#39;s devolution arrangements and will hamper Scotland&#39;s access to the European Union&#39;s single market.

In its legal publications, Scotland has asked the court that it be allowed to vote for its consent before British Prime Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50 to initiate the legal process of Brexit.&nbsp;

&quot;A bill brought before the UK Parliament to withdraw the UK from the EU would engage the constitutional convention in terms of which that Parliament does not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish Parliament,&quot; the document said, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, the high court had specified that the government must seek the approval of the British parliament before official proceedings are made for Brexit.&nbsp;The British government is appealing the&nbsp;judgement in the Supreme Court.

The case of the Scottish parliament will be heard in early December, said Reuters.&nbsp;

Although 52 per cent of Britons voted to leave the bloc during a referendum in June, 62 per cent of Scots voted to stay in the EU.&nbsp;

Single Market Status&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the first ministers of Scotland and Wales, Nicola Sturgeon and &nbsp;Carwyn Jones today met with&nbsp;in the Welsh capital to hold discussions over maintaining an &ldquo;unfettered access to the EU&#39;s single market&rdquo;, where Sturgeon warned that she will bid for a second referendum to sever ties with Britain, if Brexit deal is not suitable for Scotland.&nbsp;

EU&#39;s single market refers to the bloc&nbsp;as one territory without any internal borders or other regulatory obstacles for the free movement of goods and services&nbsp;

&quot;Both Scotland and Wales have spoken loud and clear -- Single Market status is simply the only way to protect the economy not only of Scotland and Wales respectively, but the UK as a whole. Anything else risks us falling off a hard-Brexit cliff edge, and we are united in our call to ensure the UK government does all it can to ensure that happens,&quot;&nbsp;Sturgeon asserted.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Scotland's 58-page legal document argued that Brexit should require a separate vote in its own devolved parliament

Scotland has published legal documents to be sent to the British high court asking for a separate vote for Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, Reuters reported. In its 58-page legal submissions, Scotland has argued that any parliamentary vote on Brexit will have a major impact on Scotland's devolution arrangements and will hamper Scotland's access to the European Union's single market. In its legal publications, Scotland has asked the court that it be allowed to vote for its consent before British Prime Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50 to initiate the legal process of Brexit. "A bill brought before the UK Parliament to withdraw the UK from the EU would engage the constitutional convention in terms of which that Parliament does not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish Parliament," the document said, Reuters reported. Earlier this month, the high court had specified that the government must seek the approval of the British parliament before official proceedings are made for Brexit. The British government is appealing the judgement in the Supreme Court. The case of the Scottish parliament will be heard in early December, said Reuters. Although 52 per cent of Britons voted to leave the bloc during a referendum in June, 62 per cent of Scots voted to stay in the EU. Single Market Status Meanwhile, the first ministers of Scotland and Wales, Nicola Sturgeon and Carwyn Jones today met with in the Welsh capital to hold discussions over maintaining an “unfettered access to the EU's single market”, where Sturgeon warned that she will bid for a second referendum to sever ties with Britain, if Brexit deal is not suitable for Scotland. EU's single market refers to the bloc as one territory without any internal borders or other regulatory obstacles for the free movement of goods and services "Both Scotland and Wales have spoken loud and clear -- Single Market status is simply the only way to protect the economy not only of Scotland and Wales respectively, but the UK as a whole. Anything else risks us falling off a hard-Brexit cliff edge, and we are united in our call to ensure the UK government does all it can to ensure that happens," Sturgeon asserted. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Scotland lays out legal documents to have say on Brexit trigger

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