'NO' to Brexit renegotiations!

When UK Prime Minister Theresa May had taken over the reins from her immediate predecessor, David Cameron, after the referendum, little did she know what awaited her. Leaving EU on Britain's terms was virtually impossible. Brexit has now left the Tories as, indeed, the Parliament divided. With March 29 set as the deadline for calling it quits, the European Union has reiterated its position that the Brexit deal will not be renegotiated. Several British lawmakers continue to argue that the EU will want to avoid a so-called "no deal" outcome and could be forced into changes if the UK's Parliament refuses to back the deal. But the European Commission has rejected that idea. The British Parliament is due to vote on May's Brexit deal later this month, but many lawmakers have already indicated they will vote against it. A vote was due to take place in mid-December but the PM pulled the plug when it became clear she would lose "by a significant margin,"she admitted. May then survived a confidence motion triggered by members of her own party, before meeting with EU leaders in an attempt to renegotiate the deal. However her overtures were rejected and now the EU has said,once again,that the existing deal is the only one available. Brexit supporters are worried that Britain might end up staying in the EU if May's deal is voted down in parliament. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, a prominent Brexit supporter, warned that there was a "50-50" chance Brexit will not happen if Parliament rejects May's deal. However, as matters stand, the UK is set to leave the EU on March 29 whether or not an agreement is in place. The prospect of a "no deal" Brexit has stoked worries over the potential for massive disruption to almost every aspect of British life. The UK would suddenly no longer be a party to the legislative and regulatory framework that has governed its external trade and much of its internal economy for the past four decades, and experts said there was simply not enough time to put in place an alternative framework. "The UK is not prepared because it is simply firmer big a question to be prepared for," David Henig, a former government trade official and director of the UK Trade Policy Project, said. In preparation the government has released an additional £2 billion ($2.5 billion) from the UK Treasury to help mitigate, in addition to the £4.2 billion already allocated since 2016. There are plans to place 3,500 troops on standby, but business and lobby groups still warn of disruptions at ports, dwindling medical supplies and potential food shortages. Understandably, many are wondering if the referendum was necessary at all. Matters have never seemed so grim since the Second World War.