British government facing battle to pass key Brexit bill
LONDON — With 18 months until Britain is due to leave the European Union, the U.K. government warned lawmakers on Thursday that it would be “reckless” to oppose a key piece of Brexit legislation.
Meanwhile, the EU’s chief negotiator said he was worried by some of the suggestions coming from the U.K. on a deal over Ireland, and voiced concerns Britain was backpedaling on its financial commitments to the bloc.
British lawmakers began debate on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, which aims to convert some 12,000 EU laws and regulations into domestic statute on the day the country leaves the bloc in March 2019. The legislation is a key plank in the government’s plans to disentangle Britain from the EU after more than four decades of membership.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said that “without this legislation a smooth and orderly exit is impossible” and delaying or opposing the bill would be “reckless in the extreme.”