British Prime Minister: England to begin formal process for leaving European Union early next year

[WestVirginiaRebel]

The Blaze:

LONDON (AP) — Britain will trigger the formal process for leaving the European Union before April, Prime Minister Theresa May said Sunday, putting to rest weeks of speculation on the timing of the move.

 

May confirmed her plans in an interview with the BBC before a speech at her Conservative Party’s annual conference in Birmingham.

 

“I will be saying in my speech today that we will trigger before the end of March next year,” she said.

 

While the prime minister previously had hinted she planned to initiate Britain’s EU exit early next year, many observers had speculated she would wait until France’s presidential election ends in May.

 

Britain voted in a June referendum to leave the EU, but has not formally notified the bloc of its intentions by invoking the article of the EU treaty that would trigger negotiations. Doing so will launch two years of talks to work out the details of Britain’s future relationship with the single market.

 

While the two-year timetable is mandated by the EU treaty, it can be extended by a unanimous vote of the remaining members of the bloc.

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Brexit officially begins.