BBC — The British government’s Brexit White Paper was published last week publication comes after pressure from MPs across the House of Commons.
It sets out the themes of the government’s goals for its negotiations with the EU, as announced by Prime Minister Theresa May last month.
These include:
- Trade: The UK will withdraw from the single market and seek a new customs arrangement and a free trade agreement with the EU.
- Immigration: A new system to control EU migration will be introduced, and could be phased in to give businesses time to prepare. The new system will be designed to help fill skills shortages and welcome “genuine” students.
- Expats: The government wants to secure an agreement with European countries “at the earliest opportunity” on the rights of EU nationals in the UK and Britons living in Europe.
- Sovereignty: Britain will leave the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice but seek to set up separate resolution mechanisms for things like trade disputes.
- Border: Aiming for “as seamless and frictionless a border as possible between Northern Ireland and Ireland.”
- Devolution: Giving more powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as decision-making is brought back to the UK.
The document says the government will “keep our positions closely held and will need at times to be careful about the commentary we make public”, with MPs offered a vote on the final deal.
Labour is calling for a “meaningful vote” that could send the prime minister back to the negotiating table if the deal is deemed unsatisfactory by MPs.
Formal negotiations can begin once the UK has given notice of Brexit under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which Mrs May has promised to do by the end of March.
On Wednesday evening MPs voted to allow the PM to do this as they backed the European Union Bill by 498 votes to 114.
MPs will discuss the bill in more detail next week when it reaches the committee stage in the Commons, and Labour has vowed to force through amendments.
Hundreds of amendments have already been tabled for debate between Monday and Wednesday, with objectives set out in the government’s strategy expected to attract more.
A total of 47 Labour rebels voted against the bill.
