The Brexit Timetable. What should the UK do now?

The BBC published this graphic of the "Steps to UK leaving the European Union", below, a couple of years ago.  I believe it is still valid.  In particular:
  1.  Once the draft deal had been put to the European Union, there are two further ratification steps within the EU, neither of which guarantee approval
  2. There would also need to be approval of the draft deal in the UK, again not guaranteed.  We are still wrangling how that should be done, both in Parliament and whether there should be a further referendum on the facts of the final deal
  3. The leave date of 29 March 2019 can only be extended under Article 50(3) by agreement of all 27 EU countries
Furthermore, Article 50 did not stipulate how notification could be withdrawn, or what conditions would attach.  The author of Article 50 believes the UK can withdraw unanimously, without agreement of the EU, and on current terms. But that is disputed, and is now the subject of a court case to clarify.   

There are three key implications with such short timescales:
  • It was reckless to submit the Article 50 withdrawal notification without a clear proposal having been agreed in the UK, which would provide the basis for the EU to agree after negotiation. The key issues were all known.  Yet the very basis of the deal is still being argued in the UK.
  • The EU summit in October was the deadline for a draft deal, to allow time for ratification., We are now not in 'injury time'.  The final whistle has blown on getting a draft deal agreed before leaving in March 2019.
  • With no businesses, government bodies or individuals able to plan 2019 with any certainty, either:
  1. The request to the EU put the March 2019 leave date back at least a year needs to be submitted NOW, or
  2. Simply #StopBrexitNow
Given the difficulties of the first option, we should do the second.

#StopBrexitNow


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