May accused of ‘panic measure’ by vowing to fix Brexit date, time

A pro-EU critic accused Conservative Prime Minister, Theresa May, of a “panic measure” on Friday after she vowed to fix the date and time of Britain leaving the EU in legislation.
“Let no one doubt our determination or question our resolve, Brexit is happening,” May wrote in Friday’s Telegraph.
“It will be there in black and white on the front page of this historic piece of legislation: the UK will be leaving the EU on March 29, 2019 at 11 p.m. GMT,” she wrote.
The date and time will be added to the draft EU Withdrawal Bill, to be scrutinised by lawmakers next week at the committee stage, May said.
She said the legislation was “fundamental to delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit.”
May warned rebels in her own party and opposition parties that she “will not tolerate attempts [in parliament] to block the democratic wishes of the British people by attempting to slow down or stop our departure from the EU.”
But former Conservative Minister, Michael Heseltine, now a member of parliament’s unelected upper house, the Lords, said May’s intervention “injects a degree of certainty exactly at the wrong moment.’’
“Frankly, it’s a panic measure… in order to make sure that public opinion [against Brexit] doesn’t get a chance to exert itself,” Heseltine, a strong opponent of Brexit, told the BBC.
“I think public opinion is shifting,” he said, claiming that the fixing of a date was “being done so that there is a fixed moment before people understand the [Brexit] deal.” (dpa/NAN)