Brexit: Theresa May caves into pressure to chalk out detailed plan before formal exit talks

LONDON, U.K. - British Prime Minister Theresa May has caved into pressure to produce a detailed plan for Brexit by the end of March after being faced with the possibility of a revolt by some 20 'remain' Conservative politicians on the issue and a defeat in the Commons.

In return, most of the rebels and Labour, who called May's move a "significant 11th-hour concession," will back a compromise government amendment to support May's pledge to invoke Article 50 to start Brexit by April.

The motion and amendment will be subject to a debate and non-binding vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday, although May will not be present as she is in Bahrain.

MPs are likely to use the debate to pile pressure onto David Davis, the minister for Brexit, amid complaints that May has failed to give sufficient detail over her stance and claims that the government is still struggling to get to grips with the complexity of unraveling their membership of the bloc.

Davis, who will reply to the debate for the government, is also likely to face questions about the apparently accelerating timetable for negotiations, after the EU's lead Brexit official warned the U.K. will have to reach a deal within 18 months.

The text of the Labour motion had called "on the prime minister to commit to publishing the government’s plan for leaving the EU before Article 50 is invoked.”

Labour and 'remain' Tory MPs declared victory after the government accepted the opposition motion.

Downing Street sources, meanwhile, said May had always intended to set out the overarching aims of her Brexit strategy before Article 50 was triggered and denied that the government’s position had shifted significantly.

May, however, did appease Brexit supporters by challenging MPs to vote in favour of triggering Article 50, which starts formal exit process by the end of March next year.

This will ask MPs to “respect the wishes of the United Kingdom as expressed in the referendum on 23 June” by agreeing to the government’s timetable for Brexit, with the aim of flushing out any who do not want to vote in favour of starting the process of leaving the EU.

The government will also be hoping that a majority of MPs in favour of triggering Article 50 will allow it to claim more of a parliamentary mandate for Brexit, although it is only a non-binding motion.

Downing Street stressed it would not affect the government's Supreme Court battle to overturn a ruling that it needs Parliament's approval before triggering Article 50, because the vote is on a symbolic motion rather than legislation.

The concession also left May some wriggle room, because the Labour motion allows her to keep details of the strategy secret if revealing them would damage the U.K.'s position in the negotiations.

Amid speculation surrounding the level of detail Theresa May will set out, Labour urged her to publish the plan by the end of January, in a possible attempt to leave time to further force her hand.

Remain-backing Tories including Anna Soubry called for a White Paper setting out the different Brexit options for MPs to scrutinise.

The move came as European Commissioner Michel Barnier warned the UK will not be allowed to "cherry-pick" which EU rights and obligations it wishes to keep, suggesting it cannot stay in the single market if it does not accept free movement.

Earlier, before accepting the Labour motion, May told ITV News, "I have to keep some cards close to my chest."

"I want to ensure that we get a red, white and blue Brexit. That means a Brexit that is right for the United Kingdom, a Brexit that is the right deal for the U.K..”

Scotland calls for radical reshaping of the U.K.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale is expected to call for "a radical reshaping of our country" into a federal state where every component part takes more responsibility for its citizens.

According to the proposal, Scotland will take control over fisheries, farming and social rights now covered by EU laws.

This new structure would be designed in part by a new “people’s constitutional convention” of civic and political groups that would mimic the Scottish civic convention that helped frame the 1999 devolution settlement, which led to the creation of the Scottish parliament.

“This would mean a radical reshaping of our country along federal lines where every component part of the United Kingdom – Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the English regions – take more responsibility for what happens in their own communities, but where we still maintain the protection of being part of a greater whole as the U.K.,” Dugdale is expected to say.

“It would involve significant changes to how central government operates.”

Supreme Court due to hear Northern Ireland challenges

Lawyers for victims' campaigner Raymond McCord and a group of Northern Ireland anti-Brexit politicians are expected to put their arguments to the Supreme Court, according to which, people in Northern Ireland should have to give consent before the government triggers Article 50.

Although the case was rejected by the Belfast high court in October, they won the right to be considered as part of this week's wider Supreme Court hearing.

Post-Brexit plan proposed to attract entrepreneurs, workers, investors

In an open letter to Theresa May, nine leading U.K.-based technology entrepreneurs and investors, including Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom, pressed the government to act to ensure a continued flow of skilled migrants after Britain leaves the European Union. 

It also called on the government to address EU market access and other issues.

The letter calls on the government to campaign for access to the European Union’s digital single market and to ensure a simple and competitive framework for companies, labor, tax, stock options and bankruptcy protection.

Paris and Berlin are vying to displace London on the European start-up scene, while other cities including Dublin, Amsterdam and Frankfurt are also promoting themselves as alternative tech hubs.