The first priority for the new Government, following the General
Election on 12 December, is going to be Brexit. Whether to
"get it done" for the Conservatives, "get it
sorted" by renegotiating and holding a confirmatory vote for
Labour, or to "stop Brexit" for the Liberal Democrats,
Brexit will be top of the list because 31 January is a hard
deadline. Any minority Government needs to agree its Brexit stance
with its coalition partner or partners, and then put its position
to Parliament.
If Labour or the Liberal Democrats are in Government, their
first move will be almost certainly to try to agree an extension
with the EU, to stop an otherwise de jure no-deal exit at
the end of January. A Conservative Government would draw on its
renewed mandate to push the Withdrawal Agreement Bill
("WAB") through Parliament, giving
effect to the revised Withdrawal Agreement negotiated by Boris
Johnson in September. The extension granted last month by the EU
does allow for the UK
