LONDON (AP) – The British government released detailed plans Thursday for what it calls a “principled pragmatic and ambitious” Brexit – plans that have already triggered the resignation of two top ministers, and which face likely resistance from the European Union.
The long-awaited document proposes keeping Britain and the bloc in a free market for goods, with a looser relationship for services.
Prime Minister Theresa May’s government is trying to present plans that satisfy Britons who voted for their country to leave the bloc and set an independent course, but without hobbling businesses, security agencies and other sectors that are closely entwined with the EU.
But the plan has infuriated fervent Brexit supporters in May’s Conservative Party, who think it would limit Britain’s ability to strike new trade deals around the world. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis both quit the government this week in protest.
Davis’ replacement, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, said the plans called for an “innovative and unprecedented economic partnership” between Britain and the EU.