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Brexit date and time to be enshrined in law Theresa May warns rebels as Brexit talks set to resume
(about 4 hours later)
The date the UK will leave the EU is to be put into legislation, as Theresa May warns MPs not to try to "block" Brexit. Theresa May has warned she will not "tolerate" any attempt to block Brexit, after setting out the specific hour the UK will leave the EU.
"Exit day" - 2300 GMT on 29 March 2019 - will be included in the EU Withdrawal Bill, the government has confirmed. She said that "11pm GMT on 29 March 2019" is "there in black and white" in an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill.
The PM urged parties to "come together" to scrutinise the bill when it returns to the Commons but warned against using it to try to stop or slow it down. The bill will be scrutinised by MPs next week - but the PM warned against attempts to stop it or slow it down.
But the author of the Article 50 withdrawal process has said that Brexit could still be reversed. Mrs May was writing in the Daily Telegraph as a fresh round of Brexit negotiations are due to begin later.
Cross-bench peer Lord Kerr, who wrote Article 50, the formal procedure for leaving the EU, will give a speech in London on Friday in which he will say: "We can change our minds at any stage of the process". Elsewhere, the author of the Article 50 withdrawal process will say in a speech thsat Brexit could still be reversed and that there is a danger the electorate is being misled.
At an event hosted by the pro-EU Open Britain pressure group, the peer will say: "We are not required to withdraw just because Mrs May sent her letter" to Brussels. Cross-bench peer Lord Kerr, who wrote Article 50, the formal procedure for leaving the EU, will give a speech in London later in which he will say: "We can change our minds at any stage of the process."
"We are not required to withdraw just because Mrs May sent her letter [to Brussels].
"Actually, the country still has a free choice about whether to proceed. As new facts emerge, people are entitled to take a different view. And there's nothing in Article 50 to stop them.""Actually, the country still has a free choice about whether to proceed. As new facts emerge, people are entitled to take a different view. And there's nothing in Article 50 to stop them."
But Mrs May, in an article in the Telegraph, said the decision to put the date of Brexit "on the front page" of the EU Withdrawal Bill showed the government was determined to see the process through. Writing in the Telegraph, Mrs May said the decision to put the date - and time - of Brexit "on the front page" of the Brexit bill showed the government was determined to see the process through.
"Let no-one doubt our determination or question our resolve, Brexit is happening," she said. "Let no-one doubt our determination or question our resolve, Brexit is happening," the prime minister wrote.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said: "Our amendment makes it crystal clear that the UK is leaving the EU at 11pm on March 29 2019. "It will be there in black and white on the front page of this historic piece of legislation: the United Kingdom will be leaving the EU on March 29, 2019 at 11pm GMT."
"We've listened to members of the public and Parliament and have made this change to remove any confusion or concern about what 'exit day' means." The draft legislation has already passed its second reading, and now faces several attempts to amend it at the next part of its parliamentary journey - the committee stage.
The bill is designed to transfer EU law into UK law and avoid a legislative "black hole" on the day the UK leaves the EU. Mrs May said most people wanted politicians to "come together" to negotiate a good Brexit deal, adding that MPs "on all sides" should help to scrutinising the bill.
It is facing stiff resistance from some Conservative rebels and from opposition parties, who have described it as a "power grab" by the government. She said the government would listen to MPs if they had ideas for improving the bill, but warned against attempts to halt the process.
The PM said the "historic" bill was "fundamental to delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit" and would give "the greatest possible clarity and certainty for all businesses and families across the country". "We will not tolerate attempts from any quarter to use the process of amendments to this Bill as a mechanism to try to block the democratic wishes of the British people by attempting to slow down or stop our departure from the European Union."
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She said most people wanted politicians to "come together" to negotiate a good Brexit deal and added that MPs "on all sides should come together in scrutinising this Bill".
Mrs May said the government would listen to MPs if they had ideas for improving the bill - as they had done by putting the departure date "on the front page" of the bill.
"But I am just as clear of this: We will not tolerate attempts from any quarter to use the process of amendments to this Bill as a mechanism to try to block the democratic wishes of the British people by attempting to slow down or stop our departure from the European Union."
The draft legislation, formerly known as the Great Repeal Bill, has already passed its second reading, and now faces several attempts to amend it at the next part of its parliamentary journey - the committee stage.
MPs have previously been told there have been 300 amendments and 54 new clauses proposed.MPs have previously been told there have been 300 amendments and 54 new clauses proposed.
The PM said the "historic" bill was "fundamental to delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit" and would give "the greatest possible clarity and certainty for all businesses and families across the country".
Brexit Secretary David Davis said the government had attempted to remove "any confusion or concern about what 'exit day' means".
However, the bill is facing stiff resistance from some Conservative rebels and from opposition parties, who have described it as a "power grab" by the government.
Border questions
It comes as the Daily Telegraph also reported that a leaked European commission document is warning that Northern Ireland may have to abide by the EU's rules on the customs union and single market after Brexit.
The document is reported to be an update on talks about the Irish border given by the European Commission to diplomats from the remaining 27 member states in Brussels this week.
It suggests that to avoid the introduction of border checks, Northern Ireland would have to stick to the rules of the EU's single market and customs union after Brexit.
Both Britain and the EU say they are committed to ensuring that Brexit does not undermine the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement or lead to the emergence of hard-border.
However, BBC correspondent Adam Fleming said the commission's suggestion appeared to be at odds with comments made by the Northern Ireland Secretary, James Brokenshire, this week.
Mr Brokenshire said it was "difficult to imagine" Northern Ireland remaining in either the customs union of the single market after Brexit.