Brexit deal MUST be reached by October or UK could be left in legal limbo, ministers warn
CABINET ministers have privately admitted Britain will sink into a legal abyss if it fails to reach a Brexit deal with Brussels by October, according to reports.
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The government will run out of time to introduce a raft of vital laws before Britain formally leaves the EU next March, if they wait until November to begin, a meeting between the Leader of the House of Commons and the Brexit Department concluded.
An Implementation Bill and Withdrawal Agreement, along with other new laws will be needed to bring a deal into force when Britain comes to an agreement with Brussels.
If unprepared, Britain will be left in a “legal limbo land” and out of the EU without a deal.
But Andrea Leadsom, Commons timetabling boss, warned the laws will take months to make its way through Parliament and could be derailed by die-hard Remainers.
Ms Leadsom cautioned fellow ministers that with a small working majority, it would not be likely that the Government could use special Expedited Legislation measures, which can speed things up in an emergency.
It's real doomsday stuff
Unless the Commons begins in October, they would run out of time even if they were to work through the night for days on end, Ms Leadsom warned.
A source called the Tuesday meeting “real doomsday stuff”, which left Brexit ministers in no doubt that that they are running out of time.
But Theresa May’s inner circle expect EU leaders to sign odd on the withdrawal agreement in November, according to James Forsyth writing in The Sun.
The revelation comes as hardline Brexiteers were accused of “hijacking” Mrs May by outraged backbencher Remainers, as she refused to grant them a veto on a “no deal” exit.
Tory remainers were angered by Government proposals on Thursday, and said Mrs May’s efforts fell far short of what was pledged, after she promised them plans that would give parliament more power to block a no-deal Brexit.
The issue is set to return to the Commons next Wednesday, and is expected to face heavy criticism from her peers.
Brexit secretary David Davis was accused by remain-backing MP Antoinette Sandbach of hijacking a compromise deal between the Prime Minister and anti-Brexit Tory MPs.
She said: “What seems to have happened is very late in the day that DExEU got involved and it looks like the process was hijacked.”
A Government spokesperson said: "While we share with the EU the intention to agree a deal by October, we are ready for all scenarios".