Brexit: UK plans to quit EU at 11pm on March 29, 2019. But not everyone OK with that
MPs in Brexit date row – UK or European time?
MPs opened what is expected to be a fraught parliamentary battle over Brexit with a heated debate over the date Britain leaves the EU – and whether to use London or Brussels time.
Lawmakers had their first chance to scrutinise the EU Withdrawal Bill, which would formally end Britain’s membership and transpose four decades of European Union legislation into UK law.
Prime Minister Theresa May’s minority government, rocked by a string of scandals that forced out two ministers this month, faces potential defeat on a series of amendments on the bill in the weeks ahead.
On Tuesday’s first of eight days of debate, MPs clashed over one of the government’s own motions – to enshrine in law the moment Britain leaves the EU as March 29, 2019 at 2300 GMT – 11:00pm in London and midnight in Brussels.
In a bizarre twist, an opposition Labour MP proposed his own rival amendment to set the departure point as March 30, 2019 by moving it one hour later.
“My amendment decides on British time when to leave, their amendment is at the beckoning of Europeans so we have a very clear choice,” Frank Field said.
But a number of May’s own Conservative MPs were opposed to putting any date on the bill, saying it risks binding the government’s hands if negotiations with the EU go down to the wire.