The British Prime Minister Theresa May signed the letter on Tuesday formalizing the divorce between Britain and the European Union. The Scots themselves, challenge Brexit along well and get their independence in order to stay in the EU.
Theresa May signed on Tuesday the letter that will be delivered on Wednesday in Brussels to trigger Brexit. But the Scots are not happy and their MP’s have authorized their First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to ask London for a new independence referendum.
Downing Street released on Tuesday night at 21 pm GMT the photo immortalizing the moment Theresa May signed the official letter that will change the destiny of the United Kingdom when it will be delivered by late Wednesday morning to the President of the European Council Donald Tusk. Excerpts from the speech say it was to be deliver late Wednesday morning before the British Parliament were also unveiled.
“When I sit down at the negotiating table during the coming months, I will represent all the people of the United Kingdom […] and so European citizens who have made this country their home”, said Theresa May to MPs announcing that they have formally announcing the activation of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.
On Tuesday, she spoke on the phone with Donald Tusk with the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and German Chancellor Angela Merkel “to keep them informed” before the delivery of the notification letter for Brexit, according to its spokesperson.
“They agreed on the fact that a strong EU is in the interest of all and that the UK would remain a close ally and committed”, said the spokesman on Tuesday.
Hours earlier, the Scottish regional parliament, dominated by the pro-independence Scottish National Party SNP ruled by 69 votes against 59 in favor of a new referendum after it lost in 2014.
“Democratically indefensible”
The motion states that the consultation be held between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.
Nicola Sturgeon must now obtain the agreement of the Prime Minister Theresa May and the Westminster Parliament to organize this second consultation.
But on Tuesday, the two women camped on their positions: Theresa May repeated by the voice of one of his spokesman, that “it was not the time for an independence referendum” and that “would not enter into negotiations on the Scottish Government’s proposal” .
Nicola Sturgeon has meanwhile insisted that “it would democratically indefensible and totally untenable to tryto oppose” the holding of this second referendum now claimed by Scottish politicians.
Without Brexit, approved by 52% of Britons and rejected by 62% of Scots, the Scottish First Minister would not have asked so soon organize a new referendum on self, only three years after she lost by separatists (55% against 45%) in 2014.
“The circumstances have changed with Brexit” , emphasized Nicola Sturgeon, who wants that Scotland remains part at least of the single European market.
If Theresa May wants, for now, to hear about this vote and in theory the power to block the initiative, it will be difficult for her to oppose the wishes of the Scottish Parliament.
Unstoppable
Without hindering the process Theresa May might instead seek to become master schedule by pushing up the date of a referendum, beyond the actual output from the UK to the EU. Nicola Sturgeon has already indicated that it would be “open to discussion” on this point.
Theresa May, who must also manage a political crisis in Northern Ireland, is determined to do everything to preserve the unity of the United Kingdom, under strain from the EU referendum of the 23rd June 2016.
“Faced with the opportunities that will arise before us at this memorable journey, our shared values, our interests and ambitions can and should come together” , she must also call their vows Wednesday in Parliament.
If Ms Sturgeon manages to win the organization of a referendum, it will have to convince the Scots. An opinion poll published a week ago, only 44% of them are so far in favor of independence.
As for Brexit after its launch on Wednesday, the chief negotiator of the EU, Michel Barnier, warned last week that the UK should start to settle its accounts before leaving the EU. An invoice evaluated by a senior European between 55 and 60 billion euros.
But the British Minister of Brexit, David Davis, responded Monday on the BBC he expected “not to see such an amount to change hands”, suggesting the long and difficult negotiations.
