London: The British Secretary of State for International Trade and Member of Parliament (MP), Liam Fox, has said that there is no Plan B in place of the withdrawal agreement while the only plan is to “win the vote” in the British Parliament on December 11.
Speaking to the International Trade Committee on December 5 (IST), he also mentioned that the Backstop in the Brexit withdrawal agreement is a “calculated risk”. “Without it the Irish government wouldn’t have taken part in negotiations,” the International Trade Committee quoted Fox as saying.
He noted that the UK should try leaving the European Union (EU) in a stable way, as “alternatives are politically unsustainable or economically damaging”.
Fox further mentioned that the British Parliament may try to “steal the Brexit” from the people, according to Sputnik, at the very same session with the trade committee.
His comments come after British Prime Minister Theresa May opened the debate in the House of Commons on the Brexit deal on December 4. The five-day debate will lead up to the final vote by the Parliament on December 11.
There are rising fears that the Theresa-led government may suffer a setback in the form of a no Brexit, wherein the Parliament will vote against the deal and foot for a “softer” Brexit or demand for a second Brexit referendum – suggestions of which were shot down by May recently.
The fears were set afoot after the House of Commons approved an amendment which gives the Parliament more influence over the Brexit process if the government’s deal was to be rejected by lawmakers next week.
Furthermore, in a first-ever instance, the British Parliament held May’s government in contempt for not releasing the complete legal advice based on which it formulated the Brexit plan on December 4, according to CNN, adding to the fears of a no-Brexit.
In 2016, over 50 per cent of the UK electorate voted to leave the EU, following which the British government had triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, beginning the country’s process of its exit from the European bloc.
According to the withdrawal agreement, the UK is scheduled to leave the bloc on March 29, next year, after which it will move into a 21-month long transitionary period with the EU.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]