UK parliament may revoke Article 50 to stop no-deal Brexit: pro-EU party leader
Updated 20:40, 16-Jan-2019
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The British parliament may revoke Article 50 to stop a no-deal Brexit from happening, said Vince Cable, the leader of the pro-EU Liberal Democrats on Sunday.
Rebel lawmakers were reportedly planning to wrest control of the legislative agenda away from prime minister Theresa May with a view to suspending or delaying Brexit, citing a senior government source.
Cable gave a certain answer when asking whether lawmakers could bring forward legislation to revoke Article 50, "that is exactly what will happen and that is exactly what we should be doing because it would be absolutely outrageous and unforgivable if the chaotic circumstances of a no deal were allowed to happen."
"I think parliament will take control of this process, will insist that we pursue the option of no Brexit," he added.
Cable's comments were made in response to Brexit minister Stephen Barclay who said Sunday that the risk of the British parliament seeking to frustrate Brexit has increased.
"The risk of parliament acting in a way that frustrates what was the biggest vote in our history has increased," said Barclay, adding that it was going to be "challenging" to get parliament to support May's deal in a vote on Tuesday.
British opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn also opposed a no-deal Brexit, noting that exiting the European Union without a deal would be "catastrophic" and he would prefer an agreement is reached than a second referendum held.
He also said he would table a motion of no confidence in the government "soon" if prime minister Theresa May's Brexit deal is rejected by parliament on Tuesday, as is widely expected.
When asked about the possibility of a second Brexit referendum during an interview on BBC, Corbyn said: "My own view is that I would rather get a negotiated deal now if we can to stop the danger of a no-deal exit from the EU on March 29 which would be catastrophic for industry, catastrophic for trade."
(Cover: Vince Cable, leader of the U.K.'s Liberal Democrat Party, delivers his keynote speech at the party's annual conference in Brighton, UK, September 18, 2018. /VCG Photo)
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Source(s): Reuters