First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted Saturday that Scotland will have another referendum on seceding from the UK, as she blasted British Prime Minister Theresa May.

At a raucous rally of her leftwing Scottish National Party (SNP), Sturgeon said May&#39;s centre-right Conservatives were &quot;terrified&quot; of how Scotland would vote in a second referendum on independence.

Sturgeon said the will of the semi-autonomous Scottish Parliament &quot;must prevail&quot; as she seeks a new referendum before Britain leaves the European Union.

&quot;After the terms of Brexit are clear but while there is still an opportunity to change course, the people of Scotland will have a choice,&quot; she told the SNP conference in the oil city of Aberdeen on the northeast coast.

&quot;There will be an independence referendum,&quot; she said to huge cheers.

&quot;Scotland should not be dragged out of Europe by a Tory government intent on a disastrous hard Brexit. They are now terrified of the verdict of the Scottish people,&quot; she added.

Sturgeon caught the British government off-guard on Monday when she demanded a new referendum by early 2019 at the latest, just before the UK is expected to leave the EU.

But May hit back, saying &quot;now is not the time&quot; for another referendum, arguing all energies should be devoted to getting a good Brexit deal for the UK as a whole.

Sturgeon will ask the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday for its approval to ask the British government for the power to call another referendum.

The SNP runs a minority administration in Edinburgh but the leftwing Greens have pledged their support, which would give Sturgeon enough votes for a majority.

&quot;If a new referendum is to happen, it should come about by the will of the people, and not be driven by calculations of party political advantage,&quot; the Greens` manifesto says.&nbsp;

&quot;In such a referendum, the Scottish Greens will campaign for independence.&quot;

In Scotland&#39;s 2014 plebiscite, 55 per cent backed staying in the UK. But the SNP says the political landscape has dramatically changed since then, requiring another vote within the next two years.

Sturgeon said if May was concerned about the timing, she was happy to have a discussion on the date -- &quot;within reason&quot;. 
Delegates greeted her address with standing ovations.

&quot;The people of Scotland have a right to take their future into their own hands,&quot; 70-year-old SNP member Tony Martin told AFP.

&quot;We don&#39;t want to go down on the Good Ship Brexit,&quot; he said.

In last year&#39;s referendum on EU membership, 62 per cent in Scotland voted for Britain to remain in the bloc, but across the whole kingdom, 52 per cent backed Brexit. In a speech to her Conservative Party on Friday, May accused the SNP of &quot;tunnel vision&quot; and &quot;obsessive nationalism&quot;.

&quot;It is now clear that using Brexit as the pretext to engineer a second independence referendum has been the SNP&#39;s sole objective,&quot; she said.

As the debate heats up, former prime minister Gordon Brown on Saturday waded in with a compromise solution: grant Scotland sweeping new autonomy, such as the power to set sales tax and to sign international treaties.

Control over agriculture, fisheries and environmental regulation -- currently areas under EU control -- would be handed to Scotland as Britain leaves the EU, he said.

The Scot, who is from the main opposition Labour Party, said this was would be &quot;a patriotic Scottish way&quot; to avoid both &quot;die-hard conservatism&quot; and &quot;hardline nationalism&quot;.

Scotland&#39;s relationship with the EU is at the forefront of the SNP&#39;s renewed call for independence, although EU officials have indicated it would have to reapply to join the bloc rather than inherit Britain&#39;s membership.

But the SNP is also banking on a growing desire for independence.

According to the latest annual ScotCen Scottish Social Attitudes survey released on Wednesday, 46 per cent of Scottish voters now back leaving the UK -- a record high.

&quot;Last time a lot of people voted for the status quo and against the unknown, but this time there is no status quo,&quot; said 58-year-old SNP member Paul Wright.

(AFP)

'Scotland should not be dragged out of Europe by a Tory government intent on a disastrous hard Brexit,' Sturgeon said

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted Saturday that Scotland will have another referendum on seceding from the UK, as she blasted British Prime Minister Theresa May. At a raucous rally of her leftwing Scottish National Party (SNP), Sturgeon said May's centre-right Conservatives were "terrified" of how Scotland would vote in a second referendum on independence. Sturgeon said the will of the semi-autonomous Scottish Parliament "must prevail" as she seeks a new referendum before Britain leaves the European Union. "After the terms of Brexit are clear but while there is still an opportunity to change course, the people of Scotland will have a choice," she told the SNP conference in the oil city of Aberdeen on the northeast coast. "There will be an independence referendum," she said to huge cheers. "Scotland should not be dragged out of Europe by a Tory government intent on a disastrous hard Brexit. They are now terrified of the verdict of the Scottish people," she added. Sturgeon caught the British government off-guard on Monday when she demanded a new referendum by early 2019 at the latest, just before the UK is expected to leave the EU. But May hit back, saying "now is not the time" for another referendum, arguing all energies should be devoted to getting a good Brexit deal for the UK as a whole. Sturgeon will ask the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday for its approval to ask the British government for the power to call another referendum. The SNP runs a minority administration in Edinburgh but the leftwing Greens have pledged their support, which would give Sturgeon enough votes for a majority. "If a new referendum is to happen, it should come about by the will of the people, and not be driven by calculations of party political advantage," the Greens` manifesto says. "In such a referendum, the Scottish Greens will campaign for independence." In Scotland's 2014 plebiscite, 55 per cent backed staying in the UK. But the SNP says the political landscape has dramatically changed since then, requiring another vote within the next two years. Sturgeon said if May was concerned about the timing, she was happy to have a discussion on the date -- "within reason". Delegates greeted her address with standing ovations. "The people of Scotland have a right to take their future into their own hands," 70-year-old SNP member Tony Martin told AFP. "We don't want to go down on the Good Ship Brexit," he said. In last year's referendum on EU membership, 62 per cent in Scotland voted for Britain to remain in the bloc, but across the whole kingdom, 52 per cent backed Brexit. In a speech to her Conservative Party on Friday, May accused the SNP of "tunnel vision" and "obsessive nationalism". "It is now clear that using Brexit as the pretext to engineer a second independence referendum has been the SNP's sole objective," she said. As the debate heats up, former prime minister Gordon Brown on Saturday waded in with a compromise solution: grant Scotland sweeping new autonomy, such as the power to set sales tax and to sign international treaties. Control over agriculture, fisheries and environmental regulation -- currently areas under EU control -- would be handed to Scotland as Britain leaves the EU, he said. The Scot, who is from the main opposition Labour Party, said this was would be "a patriotic Scottish way" to avoid both "die-hard conservatism" and "hardline nationalism". Scotland's relationship with the EU is at the forefront of the SNP's renewed call for independence, although EU officials have indicated it would have to reapply to join the bloc rather than inherit Britain's membership. But the SNP is also banking on a growing desire for independence. According to the latest annual ScotCen Scottish Social Attitudes survey released on Wednesday, 46 per cent of Scottish voters now back leaving the UK -- a record high. "Last time a lot of people voted for the status quo and against the unknown, but this time there is no status quo," said 58-year-old SNP member Paul Wright. (AFP)

Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon insists on second referendum

Queen Elizabeth II gave royal assent on Thursday to a bill empowering British Prime Minister Theresa May to trigger Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty and begin the process of leaving the European Union.

May has said she will send a letter to the European Council informing them of Britain&#39;s decision to leave the bloc by the end of March, following a majority vote for Brexit in last year&#39;s referendum.

The House of Commons speaker John Bercow announced the final go-ahead in the parliamentary chamber, prompting cheers from ruling Conservative Party MPs.

The queen&#39;s signature on the bill allows May to invoke Article 50 any time from now in a process that will take a maximum of two years unless Britain and its EU partners agree to extend the deadline.

May said she will address the British parliament to inform lawmakers that she has triggered Article 50 and an initial response is expected from the European Commission within 48 hours.

Full negotiations, however, are not expected to start for several weeks or months as both sides prepare.

&quot;This will be a defining moment for our whole country as we begin to forge a new relationship with Europe and a new role for ourselves in the world,&quot; May told MPs on Tuesday.

She had been widely expected to trigger Article 50 this week but the plan appears to have been derailed by a surprise announcement by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday that she would seek a new independence referendum.

During the EU referendum campaign, Buckingham Palace denied a report in The Sun tabloid that the queen was a supporter of Brexit.

The newspaper cited an anonymous &quot;senior source&quot; who said the monarch had &quot;let rip&quot; at pro-EU politician Nick Clegg during a lunch in 2011 when he was deputy prime minister.

&quot;People who heard their conversation were left in no doubt at all about the queen&#39;s views on European integration,&quot; the source was quoted as saying.

&quot;It was really something, and it went on for quite a while.

&quot;The EU is clearly something her majesty feels passionately about,&quot; the source said.

(AFP)

PM May has said she will send a letter to the European Council informing them of Britain's decision to leave the bloc by the end of March

Queen Elizabeth II gave royal assent on Thursday to a bill empowering British Prime Minister Theresa May to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty and begin the process of leaving the European Union. May has said she will send a letter to the European Council informing them of Britain's decision to leave the bloc by the end of March, following a majority vote for Brexit in last year's referendum. The House of Commons speaker John Bercow announced the final go-ahead in the parliamentary chamber, prompting cheers from ruling Conservative Party MPs. The queen's signature on the bill allows May to invoke Article 50 any time from now in a process that will take a maximum of two years unless Britain and its EU partners agree to extend the deadline. May said she will address the British parliament to inform lawmakers that she has triggered Article 50 and an initial response is expected from the European Commission within 48 hours. Full negotiations, however, are not expected to start for several weeks or months as both sides prepare. "This will be a defining moment for our whole country as we begin to forge a new relationship with Europe and a new role for ourselves in the world," May told MPs on Tuesday. She had been widely expected to trigger Article 50 this week but the plan appears to have been derailed by a surprise announcement by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday that she would seek a new independence referendum. During the EU referendum campaign, Buckingham Palace denied a report in The Sun tabloid that the queen was a supporter of Brexit. The newspaper cited an anonymous "senior source" who said the monarch had "let rip" at pro-EU politician Nick Clegg during a lunch in 2011 when he was deputy prime minister. "People who heard their conversation were left in no doubt at all about the queen's views on European integration," the source was quoted as saying. "It was really something, and it went on for quite a while. "The EU is clearly something her majesty feels passionately about," the source said. (AFP)

Queen signs law authorising May to begin Brexit

Parliament gave its approval Monday for Prime Minister Theresa May to start Britain&#39;s withdrawal from the European Union, even as Scotland signalled its opposition by announcing plans for a fresh independence vote. 
 
The House of Lords rejected a last-ditch attempt to amend a bill empowering May to begin Brexit, paving the way for it to become law as early as Tuesday. 
 
The prime minister could then trigger Article 50 of the EU&#39;s&nbsp;Lisbon Treaty at any time, starting two years of talks that will end with Britain becoming the first country to leave the bloc. 
 
May`s spokesman sought to play down speculation that she would send her notification letter to the European Council on Tuesday, when the bill is expected to receive royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II. 
 
&quot;We have been clear that the prime minister will trigger Article 50 by the end of March,&quot; her spokesman said ahead of the vote, heavily emphasising the word &quot;end&quot;. 
 
But the prospect of an imminent start to Brexit was enough to push the nationalist devolved government in Scotland into calling for a new independence referendum. 
 
May has said Britain will leave Europe`s single market in order to cut immigration, a move that the Scottish National Party (SNP) in power in Edinburgh has warned would be highly damaging to jobs and growth. 
 
SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said since the June referendum vote for Brexit that Scotland, where a majority wanted to stay in the EU, sought a different future. 
 
On Monday she made good on her warning, promising to give Scotland &quot;a choice at the end of this process&quot; by early 2019 -- before Britain leaves the EU. 
 
The European Commission, however, quickly responded saying that Scotland would have to reapply to join the EU rather than inheriting Britain`s membership.May has the power to block the vote and said that another referendum, after Scots voted by 55 percent to reject independence in 2014, would only cause &quot;uncertainty and division&quot;. 
 
But Sturgeon`s call pushes to centre stage one of the prime minister&#39;s biggest concerns about Brexit -- that it could lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom -- as she prepares to fire the starting gun. 
 
The other 27 European leaders are prepared for Britain to trigger Article 50, which begins a two-year countdown to Brexit, this week. 
 
However, speculation is growing that it may now be delayed until after a March 25 summit in Rome to mark the EU`s 60th birthday -- timing that would likely be welcomed in Brussels. 
 
Once May has notified the EU of her decision by letter, the bloc will take just 48 hours to issue its first draft proposal for the negotiations, with a follow-up meeting planned on April 6. 
 
The actual talks are not expected to begin for months. 
 
The bill empowering May to begin Brexit was forced on the government by a Supreme Court ruling and was held up when the House of Lords voted for amendments demanding guarantees for EU nationals` rights and a parliamentary vote on the final withdrawal deal. 
 
Brexit minister David Davis successfully urged MPs to overturn the changes earlier Monday, saying: &quot;We will not enter the negotiations with our hands tied.&quot; 
 
The House of Lords then conceded, passing the bill unamended late on Monday.The Lords amendment demanding protections for more than three million Europeans living in Britain was defeated by 335 votes to 287 by MPs -- prompting shouts of &quot;shame on you&quot; from protesters outside. 
 
Around 150 people had gathered to urge MPs to back the change, including Karin Templin, a 39-year-old architect who was born in the US but is now British. 
 
&quot;I`m appalled at the UK government, at this stupid ridiculous game that means they won`t guarantee the rights of everybody who wants to stay in their home and in their jobs. I`m disgusted,&quot; she said. 
 
May`s government says it wants to guarantee Europeans` rights to stay in Britain, but cannot until EU leaders offer similar rights to British expatriates. 
 
The other amendment that was overturned would have given parliament the right to decide whether to accept the final Brexit deal. 
 
May has promised lawmakers a vote on the deal but only if she accepts it -- insisting her ability to walk away will strengthen her hand in negotiations. 
 
(AFP)

Scotland has demanded a new independence vote before britain formally breaks away from the EU

Parliament gave its approval Monday for Prime Minister Theresa May to start Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, even as Scotland signalled its opposition by announcing plans for a fresh independence vote. The House of Lords rejected a last-ditch attempt to amend a bill empowering May to begin Brexit, paving the way for it to become law as early as Tuesday. The prime minister could then trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty at any time, starting two years of talks that will end with Britain becoming the first country to leave the bloc. May`s spokesman sought to play down speculation that she would send her notification letter to the European Council on Tuesday, when the bill is expected to receive royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II. "We have been clear that the prime minister will trigger Article 50 by the end of March," her spokesman said ahead of the vote, heavily emphasising the word "end". But the prospect of an imminent start to Brexit was enough to push the nationalist devolved government in Scotland into calling for a new independence referendum. May has said Britain will leave Europe`s single market in order to cut immigration, a move that the Scottish National Party (SNP) in power in Edinburgh has warned would be highly damaging to jobs and growth. SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said since the June referendum vote for Brexit that Scotland, where a majority wanted to stay in the EU, sought a different future. On Monday she made good on her warning, promising to give Scotland "a choice at the end of this process" by early 2019 -- before Britain leaves the EU. The European Commission, however, quickly responded saying that Scotland would have to reapply to join the EU rather than inheriting Britain`s membership.May has the power to block the vote and said that another referendum, after Scots voted by 55 percent to reject independence in 2014, would only cause "uncertainty and division". But Sturgeon`s call pushes to centre stage one of the prime minister's biggest concerns about Brexit -- that it could lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom -- as she prepares to fire the starting gun. The other 27 European leaders are prepared for Britain to trigger Article 50, which begins a two-year countdown to Brexit, this week. However, speculation is growing that it may now be delayed until after a March 25 summit in Rome to mark the EU`s 60th birthday -- timing that would likely be welcomed in Brussels. Once May has notified the EU of her decision by letter, the bloc will take just 48 hours to issue its first draft proposal for the negotiations, with a follow-up meeting planned on April 6. The actual talks are not expected to begin for months. The bill empowering May to begin Brexit was forced on the government by a Supreme Court ruling and was held up when the House of Lords voted for amendments demanding guarantees for EU nationals` rights and a parliamentary vote on the final withdrawal deal. Brexit minister David Davis successfully urged MPs to overturn the changes earlier Monday, saying: "We will not enter the negotiations with our hands tied." The House of Lords then conceded, passing the bill unamended late on Monday.The Lords amendment demanding protections for more than three million Europeans living in Britain was defeated by 335 votes to 287 by MPs -- prompting shouts of "shame on you" from protesters outside. Around 150 people had gathered to urge MPs to back the change, including Karin Templin, a 39-year-old architect who was born in the US but is now British. "I`m appalled at the UK government, at this stupid ridiculous game that means they won`t guarantee the rights of everybody who wants to stay in their home and in their jobs. I`m disgusted," she said. May`s government says it wants to guarantee Europeans` rights to stay in Britain, but cannot until EU leaders offer similar rights to British expatriates. The other amendment that was overturned would have given parliament the right to decide whether to accept the final Brexit deal. May has promised lawmakers a vote on the deal but only if she accepts it -- insisting her ability to walk away will strengthen her hand in negotiations. (AFP)

UK Parliament passes bill to trigger Brexit amid Scotland's demand for fresh independence referendum

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has demanded a new independence referendum be held in late 2018 or early 2019, once the terms of Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union have become clearer. To do so, she needs authorisation from Britain&#39;s parliament, which is sovereign.

The Brexit referendum last June called the future of the United Kingdom into question because majorities in England and Wales voted to leave but in Scotland and Northern Ireland most people voted to stay.

Until recently, polls showed that support for independence had barely moved from the 45 per cent who backed it in the 2014 referendum. But polls in the last month have shown support for independence rising.

Scotland joined England in a political union in 1707. While Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s centre-right Conservative Party has a majority in the UK parliament, it has only one lawmaker in Scotland and 54 of the 59 Scottish seats are held by the Sturgeon&#39;s Scottish National Party (SNP).

&nbsp;

LEGALLY, WHO DECIDES?

Britain&#39;s national parliament is sovereign and is therefore the only legitimate authority to legislate on constitutional issues. Such matters are among the &quot;reserved&quot; topics that in general are not devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

With prior agreement between governments in London and Edinburgh, the UK government can devolve power temporarily from Westminster to the Scottish parliament, Holyrood, making a bill to legislate for an independence referendum in Edinburgh legally watertight. This is known as a Section 30 order.

This is what happened to allow the 2014 independence referendum.

Although a spokesman for May criticised Sturgeon for wanting a new vote on Monday, many observers believe May&#39;s government ultimately would give its blessing to a secession vote once more if requested, to avoid being seen to stand in the way of the Scottish people as represented in Scotland&#39;s parliament.

Both Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, and Kezia Dugdale, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, have said the UK government should not block &quot;IndyRef2&quot; as it is known, if backed by the Scottish people. Both parties formally oppose independence and the holding of a second referendum.

A likely point of contention between Edinburgh and London will now be the timing of a new vote; the Scottish government wants to keep the vote within the two year timeframe in which Britain leaves the EU so Scotland has a chance of retaining its EU membership.

The UK government will likely seek to push that timing back.

&nbsp;

COULD SCOTLAND JUST CALL ANOTHER VOTE ON ITS OWN?

If the Scottish parliament voted to hold another independence referendum without the consent of Westminster, constitutional experts say the Scottish bill would be legally challenged, ultimately at the UK&#39;s highest judicial body, the Supreme Court.

Such a situation would mark a full-blown constitutional crisis.

The Scottish could still choose to press ahead with a symbolic, non-legally binding vote to put moral pressure on the Westminster government, echoing the &quot;consultation of citizens&quot; plebiscite held in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia in 2014.

That poll was carried out without legal backing and Catalonia&#39;s former regional governor went on trial for staging it. However Scotland&#39;s independence referendum legislation, prepared in October in readiness for this potential outcome, tacitly recognises that the UK government will have to sign off on allowing a vote, constitutional experts say.

&quot;If the Scottish Government tried to introduce a referendum bill without prior agreement, then the UK government could challenge this in the Supreme Court,&quot; said Akash Paun, from the Institute for Government.

&nbsp;

APPETITE

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon last month told the Herald newspaper that Scotland could &quot;forget it&quot; if it expected London to facilitate a new referendum on independence, causing a row with the Scottish government who accused him of arrogance.

Michael Gove, another Conservative lawmaker, said a few days later that the decision on a new vote was down to the British prime minister and that Sturgeon would be &quot;foolish&quot; to try to call one.

After the Supreme Court in London ruled that the devolved assembly in Edinburgh did not need to be consulted on triggering Brexit, Sturgeon asked:

&quot;Is Scotland content for our future to be dictated by an increasingly right-wing Westminster government with just one MP (lawmaker) here,&quot; she asked. &quot;Or is it better that we take our future into our own hands?&quot;

Some commentators have argued that Sturgeon had boxed herself into a corner and was practically obliged to call a new vote regardless of public appetite for one.

(Reuters)

Here are answers to a few common questions people are asking concerning Scotland's demand for another vote on its independence

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has demanded a new independence referendum be held in late 2018 or early 2019, once the terms of Britain's exit from the European Union have become clearer. To do so, she needs authorisation from Britain's parliament, which is sovereign. The Brexit referendum last June called the future of the United Kingdom into question because majorities in England and Wales voted to leave but in Scotland and Northern Ireland most people voted to stay. Until recently, polls showed that support for independence had barely moved from the 45 per cent who backed it in the 2014 referendum. But polls in the last month have shown support for independence rising. Scotland joined England in a political union in 1707. While Prime Minister Theresa May's centre-right Conservative Party has a majority in the UK parliament, it has only one lawmaker in Scotland and 54 of the 59 Scottish seats are held by the Sturgeon's Scottish National Party (SNP). LEGALLY, WHO DECIDES? Britain's national parliament is sovereign and is therefore the only legitimate authority to legislate on constitutional issues. Such matters are among the "reserved" topics that in general are not devolved to the Scottish Parliament. With prior agreement between governments in London and Edinburgh, the UK government can devolve power temporarily from Westminster to the Scottish parliament, Holyrood, making a bill to legislate for an independence referendum in Edinburgh legally watertight. This is known as a Section 30 order. This is what happened to allow the 2014 independence referendum. Although a spokesman for May criticised Sturgeon for wanting a new vote on Monday, many observers believe May's government ultimately would give its blessing to a secession vote once more if requested, to avoid being seen to stand in the way of the Scottish people as represented in Scotland's parliament. Both Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, and Kezia Dugdale, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, have said the UK government should not block "IndyRef2" as it is known, if backed by the Scottish people. Both parties formally oppose independence and the holding of a second referendum. A likely point of contention between Edinburgh and London will now be the timing of a new vote; the Scottish government wants to keep the vote within the two year timeframe in which Britain leaves the EU so Scotland has a chance of retaining its EU membership. The UK government will likely seek to push that timing back. COULD SCOTLAND JUST CALL ANOTHER VOTE ON ITS OWN? If the Scottish parliament voted to hold another independence referendum without the consent of Westminster, constitutional experts say the Scottish bill would be legally challenged, ultimately at the UK's highest judicial body, the Supreme Court. Such a situation would mark a full-blown constitutional crisis. The Scottish could still choose to press ahead with a symbolic, non-legally binding vote to put moral pressure on the Westminster government, echoing the "consultation of citizens" plebiscite held in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia in 2014. That poll was carried out without legal backing and Catalonia's former regional governor went on trial for staging it. However Scotland's independence referendum legislation, prepared in October in readiness for this potential outcome, tacitly recognises that the UK government will have to sign off on allowing a vote, constitutional experts say. "If the Scottish Government tried to introduce a referendum bill without prior agreement, then the UK government could challenge this in the Supreme Court," said Akash Paun, from the Institute for Government. APPETITE Defence Secretary Michael Fallon last month told the Herald newspaper that Scotland could "forget it" if it expected London to facilitate a new referendum on independence, causing a row with the Scottish government who accused him of arrogance. Michael Gove, another Conservative lawmaker, said a few days later that the decision on a new vote was down to the British prime minister and that Sturgeon would be "foolish" to try to call one. After the Supreme Court in London ruled that the devolved assembly in Edinburgh did not need to be consulted on triggering Brexit, Sturgeon asked: "Is Scotland content for our future to be dictated by an increasingly right-wing Westminster government with just one MP (lawmaker) here," she asked. "Or is it better that we take our future into our own hands?" Some commentators have argued that Sturgeon had boxed herself into a corner and was practically obliged to call a new vote regardless of public appetite for one. (Reuters)

Factbox: Who decides whether Scotland holds an independence referendum?

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday demanded a new independence referendum to be held in late 2018 or early 2019, once the terms of Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union have become clearer.

A vote that could rip apart the United Kingdom just months before Brexit adds a tumultuous twist and highly uncertain consequences to the two-year process of leaving the EU after more than four decades.

&quot;If Scotland is to have a real choice - when the terms of Brexit are known but before it is too late to choose our own course - then that choice must be offered between the autumn of next year, 2018, and the spring of 2019,&quot; Sturgeon told reporters.

Her demand comes just as British Prime Minister Theresa May is poised to launch the Brexit process, something opposed by most Scots in last June&#39;s vote on leaving the bloc.

Ultimately it is the UK parliament in Westminster - where May commands a majority - which makes the call on whether Scotland can hold a second referendum. But if May refused to approve such a vote she could provoke a constitutional crisis.

This month, she accused Sturgeon&#39;s Scottish National Party of sacrificing not only the United Kingdom but also Scotland with its &quot;obsession&quot; with securing independence.

Sturgeon has previously said she wanted Scotland to be allowed to strike its own deal with the EU to keep access to the bloc&#39;s tariff-free single market. But on Monday she said her efforts had hit a &quot;brick wall of intransigence&quot; in London.

&quot;If the UK leaves the EU without Scotland indicating beforehand - or at least within a short time after it - that we want a different relationship with Europe, we could face a lengthy period not just outside the EU but also the single market,&quot; she said.

The results of the June 23 Brexit referendum called the future of the UK into question because England and Wales voted to leave the EU but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay, with an overall 51.9 per cent in favour of leaving.

Scots rejected independence by 55-45 per cent in a referendum in September 2014, though the vote energised Scottish politics and support for the SNP has surged since then.

Sterling rose after Sturgeon said the earliest date for a new Scottish independence referendum was in the autumn of next year. British government bond prices fell.

Recent opinion polls have shown support for independence running at close to 50 per cent.

At her news conference on Monday, Sturgeon was asked if she believed she could win a second independence vote: &quot;Yes I do. Absolutely, I believe that.&quot;

(Reuters)

The decision on whether Scotland can hold a second referendum will be made in the UK parliament in Westminster where May commands a majority

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday demanded a new independence referendum to be held in late 2018 or early 2019, once the terms of Britain's exit from the European Union have become clearer. A vote that could rip apart the United Kingdom just months before Brexit adds a tumultuous twist and highly uncertain consequences to the two-year process of leaving the EU after more than four decades. "If Scotland is to have a real choice - when the terms of Brexit are known but before it is too late to choose our own course - then that choice must be offered between the autumn of next year, 2018, and the spring of 2019," Sturgeon told reporters. Her demand comes just as British Prime Minister Theresa May is poised to launch the Brexit process, something opposed by most Scots in last June's vote on leaving the bloc. Ultimately it is the UK parliament in Westminster - where May commands a majority - which makes the call on whether Scotland can hold a second referendum. But if May refused to approve such a vote she could provoke a constitutional crisis. This month, she accused Sturgeon's Scottish National Party of sacrificing not only the United Kingdom but also Scotland with its "obsession" with securing independence. Sturgeon has previously said she wanted Scotland to be allowed to strike its own deal with the EU to keep access to the bloc's tariff-free single market. But on Monday she said her efforts had hit a "brick wall of intransigence" in London. "If the UK leaves the EU without Scotland indicating beforehand - or at least within a short time after it - that we want a different relationship with Europe, we could face a lengthy period not just outside the EU but also the single market," she said. The results of the June 23 Brexit referendum called the future of the UK into question because England and Wales voted to leave the EU but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay, with an overall 51.9 per cent in favour of leaving. Scots rejected independence by 55-45 per cent in a referendum in September 2014, though the vote energised Scottish politics and support for the SNP has surged since then. Sterling rose after Sturgeon said the earliest date for a new Scottish independence referendum was in the autumn of next year. British government bond prices fell. Recent opinion polls have shown support for independence running at close to 50 per cent. At her news conference on Monday, Sturgeon was asked if she believed she could win a second independence vote: "Yes I do. Absolutely, I believe that." (Reuters)

Scotland demands new independence vote before Brexit: Sturgeon

Scotland&#39;s opposition leader insisted Saturday there should be no second referendum on Scottish independence, urging the governing nationalists to concentrate on making the best of Brexit rather than exploiting it for another secession push.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson told the party&#39;s conference in Glasgow that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party (SNP) was trying to bounce the country into a new referendum.

Scotland voted to stay in the United Kingdom by 55 per cent in the 2014 vote.

It also voted by 62 per cent for the UK to remain in the European Union last year, while the UK-wide vote was to leave, which Sturgeon seized upon.

She has said Brexit makes a second independence referendum &quot;highly likely.&quot;&nbsp;

Many in her left-wing secessionist party hope she will announce a fresh bid at the SNP conference on March 17-18, with Britain set to trigger two years of divorce talks with the EU by the end of the month.

Davidson, leader of the second-biggest party in the semi-autonomous Scottish Parliament, reaffirmed her opposition to independence.

&quot;Scotland said no to independence. Scotland is saying: stop trying to bounce us into another referendum,&quot; she told her centre-right party.

&quot;The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party will never waver in our determination to stand up for the decision we made as a country. We will fight you every step of the way.

&quot;We said &#39;no,&#39; we meant it. Are you listening, Nicola? No second referendum.

&quot;We deserve a Scottish government that is focused on helping Team UK get the best Brexit deal for all of us, not using it to revive its independence obsession.&quot;

Nationalists protest outside&nbsp;

Outside the conference, around 200 nationalists gathered to protest, chanting &quot;Tory scum&quot; and waving banners calling for another referendum.

Susan McGilvray, 41, an SNP member from East Ayrshire on Scotland&#39;s west coast, told AFP: &quot;I would love to see the call for a second referendum.&quot;

While polls have shifted slightly, support for independence remains in a minority.

McGilvray said: &quot;We might lose it, but no-one ever got anywhere by saying &#39;what if&#39;?&quot;

The Scottish Parliament does not have the authority to hold a second independence referendum. It must seek the permission of the staunchly unionist British Prime Minister Theresa May.

John Menzies, 48, an SNP councillor from Hamilton near Glasgow, was among several dozen motorcyclists who gathered under the banner &quot;Bikers for Yes.&quot;

May, Britain&#39;s Conservative leader, would be &quot;very silly&quot; if she blocked a fresh referendum, he argued.

&quot;That would irk even more of the Scottish people, who then go on and vote for independence,&quot; he said.

On Friday, May told the conference in Glasgow that the SNP&#39;s &quot;obsession&quot; with independence and &quot;tunnel vision nationalism&quot; had caused it to neglect running Scotland&#39;s public services properly.

(AFP)

Ruth Davidson urged governing nationalists to concentrate on making the best of Brexit rather than exploiting it for another secession push

Scotland's opposition leader insisted Saturday there should be no second referendum on Scottish independence, urging the governing nationalists to concentrate on making the best of Brexit rather than exploiting it for another secession push. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson told the party's conference in Glasgow that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party (SNP) was trying to bounce the country into a new referendum. Scotland voted to stay in the United Kingdom by 55 per cent in the 2014 vote. It also voted by 62 per cent for the UK to remain in the European Union last year, while the UK-wide vote was to leave, which Sturgeon seized upon. She has said Brexit makes a second independence referendum "highly likely." Many in her left-wing secessionist party hope she will announce a fresh bid at the SNP conference on March 17-18, with Britain set to trigger two years of divorce talks with the EU by the end of the month. Davidson, leader of the second-biggest party in the semi-autonomous Scottish Parliament, reaffirmed her opposition to independence. "Scotland said no to independence. Scotland is saying: stop trying to bounce us into another referendum," she told her centre-right party. "The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party will never waver in our determination to stand up for the decision we made as a country. We will fight you every step of the way. "We said 'no,' we meant it. Are you listening, Nicola? No second referendum. "We deserve a Scottish government that is focused on helping Team UK get the best Brexit deal for all of us, not using it to revive its independence obsession." Nationalists protest outside Outside the conference, around 200 nationalists gathered to protest, chanting "Tory scum" and waving banners calling for another referendum. Susan McGilvray, 41, an SNP member from East Ayrshire on Scotland's west coast, told AFP: "I would love to see the call for a second referendum." While polls have shifted slightly, support for independence remains in a minority. McGilvray said: "We might lose it, but no-one ever got anywhere by saying 'what if'?" The Scottish Parliament does not have the authority to hold a second independence referendum. It must seek the permission of the staunchly unionist British Prime Minister Theresa May. John Menzies, 48, an SNP councillor from Hamilton near Glasgow, was among several dozen motorcyclists who gathered under the banner "Bikers for Yes." May, Britain's Conservative leader, would be "very silly" if she blocked a fresh referendum, he argued. "That would irk even more of the Scottish people, who then go on and vote for independence," he said. On Friday, May told the conference in Glasgow that the SNP's "obsession" with independence and "tunnel vision nationalism" had caused it to neglect running Scotland's public services properly. (AFP)

Scotland's opposition takes dim view of second independence referendum

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;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="videos-block">
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gXhNOhdwgXs"></iframe></div>
</div>

<div class="media-description">
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)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

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

brexit-0

Brexit, News on Brexit, stories on Brexit, articles on Brexit, Brexit stories at Wion, Brexit news, Brexit latest news

brexit 0

Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon insists on second referendum

Queen signs law authorising May to begin Brexit

UK Parliament passes bill to trigger Brexit amid Scotland's demand for fresh independence referendum

Factbox: Who decides whether Scotland holds an independence referendum?

Factbox: Who decides whether Scotland holds an independence referendum?

Scotland demands new independence vote before Brexit: Sturgeon

Scotland's opposition takes dim view of second independence referendum

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

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

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

Brexit: British MPs vote to start EU exit negotiations

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

Brexit: British MPs debate Article 50 bill till midnight

British PM May eyes trade ties with Turkey ahead of Brexit

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

UK takes first step towards triggering Brexit, tables draft bill

Brexit: UK government loses appeal to trigger EU exit

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

UK foreign minister Johnson warns against Brexit 'punishment beatings'

Britain will leave EU single market: British PM May

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

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

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

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