PM Theresa May ‘will be ready’ to trigger Article 50 and ‘launch EU divorce talks’ on TUESDAY
THERESA MAY will be in a position to trigger ‘Article 50’ and launch EU divorce talks on TUESDAY, sources claimed.
Senior Tory insiders said they believed the Government “had the numbers” to throw out amendments to the Brexit Bill in the Commons on Monday.
And the Lords are expected to admit defeat and the pass the legislation when it comes back to the Upper Chamber afterwards late on Monday night.
And Labour source in the House of Lords said: “We expect the Brexit Bill to be done and dusted by midnight on Monday.
“She will be ready to trigger Article 50 on Tuesday.”
Peers have tried to amend the legislation to force the PM to guarantee the rights of EU nationals – and give Parliament a veto on the outcome of the talks.
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But Tory peer and former Remain campaign chief Lord Rose yesterday called on his colleagues to get “100 per cent behind the Government”.
He said it was time to move away from the “rhetoric and get down to hard negotiation”.
He told BBC Radio 4 yesterday: “I’m fully behind the Government. I didn’t vote for Brexit, but I’m absolutely 100% behind them. Now we’ve agreed to do it, let’s do it, let’s all pull behind the Government and try to get the best possible deal.”
Downing Street refused to comment on the possible timing of Article 50. Theresa May has repeatedly targeted the end of March.
But EU Council chief Donald Tusk said yesterday that the EU was on “standby”. “We are prepared for the whole procedure.”
And Irish premier Enda Kenny said the EU Council was ready to meet on April 6 “providing Theresa May moves Article 50 by the 15th of March.”
Speaking in Brussels, Donald Tusk said the EU would respond within two days of Article 50 being triggered.
He told a news conference: "We are well prepared for the whole procedure and I have no doubt that we will be ready within 48 hours, I think it is a proper time to react."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that, depending on the exact timing of the British notification, EU leaders would organise a special summit, at which they would agree broad negotiating guidelines for the European Commission.
She said: "If the letter comes next week, the special summit will be on April 6.
"If it comes later than next week then we'll have to find a date after April 6.
"We are fully prepared and we will wait with interest. But on which day it will come in March is not of such great significance," she said.