May Will Trigger Article 50 By End of March

British Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed she will formally begin the process of leaving the EU by the end of March 2017.

Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, the Prime Minister confirmed that the British government would trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty in the first quarter of next year, and leave the European Union before the next European Elections in 2019.

She added that there would be no parliamentary vote on triggering Article 50, accusing those calling for one of attempting to “subvert democracy” and “kill [Brexit] by delaying it”.

“Some democratically elected politicians say we need a second referendum,” she said. “Others say they don’t like the result and will challenge it in the court. Come on.

“Brexit means Brexit and we are going to make a success of it.”

Theresa May also said that Scotland would have no veto over Brexit, telling the Conference: “We will leave the European Union as one United Kingdom. There is no opt out from Brexit.”

The Prime Minister also raised the prospect of Britain leaving the Single Market, saying: “There’s no such thing as a choice between a hard Brexit or soft Brexit.

“Too many people are defining our future relationship with the EU by the past.

“What we are talking about now is very different. We are going to leave the EU. We are going to be a fully independent nation. We are going to have the freedoms to make our own decisions on a whole host of matters.”

Speaking earlier on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show, the Prime Minister said she was committed to delivering Brexit by 2019..

“This is about delivering for the British people. It is not just about leaving the EU, it’s about people’s trust in politicians. The people have spoken, we must deliver,” the Prime Minister said.

“We will be starting negotiations once we’ve triggered Article 50 but I want to get the right deal and explore the opportunities for the UK once we are outside the EU. But it is not right to give a running commentary at every stage.

“We want to negotiate with [the EU] what the relationship will be. Life is going to be different in the future. Crucially we want to still have a good relation with the European Union.

“The process of leaving the European Union is quite complex. There is complexity in our relationship. I think we owe to people here in the UK in terms of their jobs and for businesses who want to invest in our future, to ensure we get the right deal.”