Theresa May can now begin the process. British MPs on Wednesday passed the first reading of the bill, by the Conservative government giving the Prime Minister the power to trigger Brexit.
Members of the House of Commons approved the text by 494 votes against 122. The bill, submitted to Parliament after the government has been forced by the Supreme Court in January, must now be considered by the House of Lords, which should adopt it.
The final adoption of the text should not occur for several weeks, but Theresa May should be able to trigger the brexit process, before 31st March, by issuing Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which will launch two years of EU output negotiations.
To quell any rebellion in the ranks of the conservative majority, the Prime Minister promised on Tuesday that parliament would decide on the terms of Brexit before the final outcome of negotiations between London and Brussels, but not before as it may jeopardize output the EU.
More than two thirds of the MP’s opposed the Brexit during the campaign of the 23rd June 2016 referendum.
