UK lawmakers want Brexit plan by mid-February

Exiting the EU committee says govt should seek transitional deal with bloc

LONDON: The British government must publish a detailed plan for Brexit by mid-February, setting out its position on future membership of the European Union’s single market and customs union, a committee of lawmakers said in a report published on Saturday.

The Exiting the EU committee, made up of lawmakers from several parties including Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives and opposition Labour, also said the government should seek a transitional deal with the bloc.

May has said she will begin formal divorce talks with the EU by the end of March but has come under fire from businesses, investors and lawmakers for having revealed little about the government’s Brexit plans.

“The government needs to publish its Brexit plan by mid-February at the latest, including its position on membership of the single market and the customs union, so that it can be scrutinised by parliament and the public,” said opposition Labour lawmaker Hilary Benn, chair of the committee.

The committee said the Brexit plan must be presented in the form of a government policy document, alongside economic assessments of various options for market access and trade.

“We’re not asking the government to give away its red lines or negotiating fall-back positions, but we do want clarity on its broad aims,” said Benn. The committee called on the government to seek to ensure continued access to EU markets for financial services firms and avoid the imposition of tariffs. It also said May should commit to giving parliament a vote on the final Brexit deal.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2017.