can't read article due to paywall but Guardian reports
The advice states that Britain will be legally obliged to take part in European Parliament elections in May of next year if it extends Article 50 and subsequently send British MEPs to Brussels.
It warns that there will be a “high risk of a successful legal challenge” if the UK refuses to take part in the elections because doing so will be breaching people’s rights as EU citizens.
Ministers who have seen the advice argue that this means that July 2nd, the start of the next five-year session of the European Parliament, is a “hard” deadline for extending Article 50.
They say it will take at least a year to complete preparations and hold a second vote, making it technically impossible to have another EU referendum.
thoughts...?
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we can do it by app
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Absolute bullshit, we can expedite a referendum if need be. The EU could also change the law to allow UK members to continue sitting until exit day. These are all political questions parading as legal ones.
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at this level of "thing" I dont see how legals can sit in the way of anything. They can cause issues but ultimatley its all still just negotiation and legal is just words
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yes it seemed bollocks to me but I am not a lawyer
a tenner says TMPM starts spouting this line rather than the 'betrayal of democracy' one though
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Guy I wish you were correct , but we cannot. An “expedited” referendum takes a minimum of 12 weeks according to the electoral commission...
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again this is all politics - parliament is sovereign in can change the law- if it decides a referendum will be held in 4 weeks it will be held in 4 weeks and the electoral commission will have to lump it. Greece managed one at 1 weeks notice.
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Greece is a basket case country , very few tories have an appetite to rush through new legislation that is likely to see a lot of MPs fooked when they lose the vote .
besides she has said no referendum whatsoever.
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Think there are some practical issues - closing down schools, getting ballot papers printed, enabling absentee ballots etc on top of issues like ensuring the public actually knows what they are voting for this time.
A vote of no confidence in the government would help concentrate minds though.
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"Think there are some practical issues - closing down schools, getting ballot papers printed, enabling absentee ballots etc on top of issues like ensuring the public actually knows what they are voting for this time."
All this holds true for a general election too which I think only needs 4-6 week lead in time."
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