MNI: UK Brexit Secretary Says Parl't Will Vote On Final Deal

--If All Goes As Planned Will Vote Before March 2019 Says Davis

By Kieran Williams

     LONDON (MNI) - David Davis, UK Secretary of State for Exiting the European

Union, said Thursday that if all goes as planned in negotiations parliament will

get to vote on the EU exit deal before March 2019, and once again emphasised

that there cannot be a vote if there is no deal to vote on.

     Responding to an urgent question following confusion after Davis' comments

at a parliamentary committee yesterday, Davis said his comments had been

misconstrued and that he merely said it was "possible" that the vote in

parliament could come after exit.

     Davis referred to the DeXEU statement yesterday released after the Prime

Minster also faced questions on the subject in the commons. "We are working to

reach an agreement on the final deal in good time before we leave the EU in

March 2019. Once the deal is agreed we will meet our long-standing commitment to

a vote in both Houses and we expect and intend this to be before the vote in the

European parliament and therefore before we leave," said the DeXEU statement.

     Ivan Rogers, Britain's former ambassador to the EU, told legislators

Wednesday that Davis was too optimistic about the timing of a final trade deal

after he said yesterday that a deal could be concluded in 12 months. 

     "What we are talking about going into the new year are not trade talks.

They are talks about the future partnership, and the framework for that future

partnership, and that is what is specified in article 50," said Rogers.

     Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday that there would be no transition

deal until the UK settles its final trading relationship with the EU.

--MNI London Bureau; +44 203 865 3809; email: kieran.williams@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

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