Britain to Lay out Brexit Strategy
Local Editor
British Prime Minister Theresa May's government was to publish its Brexit strategy Thursday after winning a first parliamentary vote on a bill that would empower her to start pulling Britain out of the EU.
The so-called "white paper" will outline Britain's negotiating aims as May prepares to officially begin the process of divorce from the European Union following last year's historic referendum vote.
In an emotional parliamentary session, MPs Wednesday approved the first stage of a bill for triggering Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which would fire the starting gun on two years of exit negotiations.
Many pro-EU MPs voiced their anguish at voting against their own deeply-held beliefs to pass the bill, which is expected to receive final approval by the House of Lords next month.
One MP was heard shouting "Suicide!" as the result of the vote was announced in the chamber.
Pro-Brexit newspapers lauded the result, though others Thursday warned of growing discontent in May's center-right Conservative Party.
"We have lift-off!" said the Daily Mail, hailing a "momentous day for Britain" after the "crushing majority" vote to start Brexit on its front page.
It featured an image of wartime leader Winston Churchill, and said the 114 lawmakers who voted against the bill had betrayed "the will of the people".
But The Times said May was facing a revolt from backbench Conservatives unless she guarantees the right of more than three million EU citizens living in Britain to stay.
The premier wants the reciprocal rights of Britons in Europe guaranteed.
On January 17, May outlined a 12-point exit strategy, saying Britain would pull out of the single market in order to control immigration from the EU, which ran at 284,000 in the year to June 2016.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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