UK government rejects petition signed by 5.8 million people to cancel Brexit

The British government has just rejected a popular demand to go back with Brexit according to which It was signed by 5.8 million people and will be discussed in Parliament next week, while the House of Commons was preparing Wednesday to vote again the exit plan of the European Union (EU) and its extension to achieve it.

The petition calls on the government of Prime Minister Theresa May to repeal Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which starts the process of exit from the EU. and got more support than anyone else in the history of the UK, indicated the British newspaper The Guardian.

With over 5,800,000 signatories, far exceeding the threshold of 100,000 required for the initiative to be addressed by Parliament, and that will happen on Monday, April 1st.

Its promoters have therefore tried to contradict the argument advanced by the Government that Brexit "is the will of the people"and appeal to the dream of those who want the UK to stay in the bloc.

Brussels has also repeatedly expressed its preference for the permanence of Britain, and in fact the letter of activation of Article 50 sent long ago by London it can be withdrawn at any time and unilaterally, canceling the whole process. "We can not betray the six million people who signed the vote," said Wednesday the President of the European Council.

But the British authorities rejected this possibility. "The government still has a firm policy not to revoke Article 50. We will honor the results of the 2016 referendum and work for a Brexit that will benefit everyone, both those who voted to leave that those who voted to stay ", says an official statement.

"Revoke Article 50 and stay in the European Union would undermine both our democracy and the trust that millions of voters have placed in this government ", add

In the referendum to define the future of the United Kingdom in the EU that held on June 23, 2016 the vote in favor of an exit was imposed at 51.89%, ie 17,410,742.

As 16,141,241 people, or 48.11%, chose to follow the block, with a participation of 72.21% of the electorate.

The vote it turned out to be well adjusted and at the same time geographically distributed with such clarity Scotland, Northern Ireland and the big cities, including London, have largely opted for the option to stay, while England and the smaller cities have been looking for 'leave', a process that has since been formally set up. Involved in harsh negotiations, reproaches and slogans agitated for and against.

Consequently, May was unable to secure his negotiated agreement with the EU for future relations, which includes different treaties on economic, migration and security issues that hope to mitigate their effects, must be approved by parliamentarians and, as a result of this delay, an extension should have been requested which will extend at least the date of departure until April 12th and at the latest. May 22nd.

In fact, on Monday, April 1st, they will also be discussed two other popular initiatives. A call for the holding of a second referendum before the finalization of the exit, which got 120,000 signatures, and another that requires an early exit on March 29, as originally planned, and which has reached the support of 140,000 people.

New ballot in Parliament

In addition to this initiative and the rejection of the government, the House of Commons On Wednesday, he held an unusual parliamentary session by resuming the agenda that will allow MPs to vote on alternative options for Brexit.

These "indicative" votes will be held from 19:00 (GMT) another crucial day for the EU's exit process and for May's political future.

Prime Minister will appear at noon in the weekly session of questions to the Prime Minister in the House of Commons and in the afternoon he will meet with the influential 1922 Committee, formed by Conservative MPs.

According to the media, May may propose to his deputies a date of resignation as a training officer in an attempt to obtain support from the Eurosceptic wing, very critical of his management as head of government, of the Brexit agreement negotiated with Brussels.

In recent days,MEPs who were most opposed to the EU were in favor of the Brexit text after voting against this document in the two votes in the House of Commons last January and March.

These eurosceptics and the ten deputies of the Northern Ireland Democrat Unionist Party (DUP) have rejected the treaty in dissatisfaction with the Irish safeguard or "guarantee" designed to avoid a physical border between the two ireland.

In today's "indicative" votes, MEPs hope to vote on various Brexit options, such as an exit without agreement, a customs union, the cancellation of the exit of the EU or a referendum, although the final list to be put to the vote will be elaborated this afternoon by the president of the Commons, John Bercow.

In addition, the House of Commons voted on Wednesday postponing the date of departure from the EU country, scheduled in principle for this Friday, 29th day, but with a delay until May 22 if members approve the agreement negotiated in May.

If this text is not approved, the UK has until April 12 to provide the community club with an alternative planotherwise the "divorce" will materialize on this date

With information from AFP and EFE