UK publishes Brexit White Paper

London, February 2

The UK Government today published a White Paper which lays out its 12 “principles”, including migration control, for an exit from the European Union, a day after Prime Minister Theresa May won overwhelmingly parliamentary approval to begin tough Brexit talks with the trade bloc.

Minister for exiting the European Union David Davis told the House of Commons that that Britian’s “best days are yet to come”.

The White Paper’s publication comes after pressure from MPs across the House of Commons and spells out in detail May’s 12 “principles” including migration control and “taking control of our own laws”.

Davis said the government would publish another White Paper before the Great Repeal Bill, which would formally mark Britain’s intention to break from the laws governing the 28-member economic bloc after the June 2016 referendum in favour of Brexit.

“We approach the negotiation to come in a spirit of good will and working to an outcome in our mutual benefit,” Davis told Parliament.

“I will not be throwing people out of Britain,” he added, in reference to a question about the rights of European Union citizens based in the UK following Brexit.

Reacting to Davis’ remarks, the opposition Labour said the document “says nothing” and had been produced too late for “meaningful” scrutiny.

The White Paper comes a day after British MPs voted in favour of May invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon to trigger the two-year timeline to negotiate a new deal as a non-member of the EU.

It confirms that the final Brexit deal will be presented before Parliament for ratification and that the UK would pursue a fresh tariff-free trade agreement with the EU after an exit from the common single market. — PTI