UK’s PM Theresa May urged to show Brexit strategy

UK Prime Minister Theresa May is coming under mounting pressure to reveal her Brexit strategy before she triggers formal negotiations to leave the EU.

A cross-party group of legislators at the weekend demanded the government publish a “substantive outline” of its plans and submit it to a vote in parliament before invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the formal mechanism for withdrawing from the EU.

The group, which includes former Liberal Democrat deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, and former opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband, argues that the June Brexit referendum only asked voters whether they wanted to exit the 28-nation bloc, not on what terms.

“The referendum was a mandate for Brexit, but there is no mandate from the referendum for a hard, destructive Brexit,” Mr Miliband said in a comment for the Open Britain campaign.

“This is not about overturning the result but giving parliament a say in determining the terms of our departure from the EU,” he said.

While any parliament vote would be non-binding, it could be awkward for the Conservative prime minister, who was last week forced to back a Labour motion calling for “proper scrutiny” of her strategy.

Speculation is growing that Ms May’s determination to curb immigration could cost Britain its tariff-free access to the EU single market of 450m people, damaging the UK economy.

Concern about a so-called hard Brexit has sent the pound to a three-decade low and revived the prospect of a second independence referendum in Scotland, where voters strongly back staying in the EU.

Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said proposals will be published in the coming weeks to keep Scotland inside the EU single market, even if the rest of the UK leaves.

In a boost for those seeking a soft Brexit, two polls over the weekend suggested voters see trade as more important than immigration in the looming Brexit talks.

According to ComRes, 49% of Britons think the government should prioritise getting a good trade deal with the EU, whereas only 39% put control of immigration first.