英伦广角 英国首相Theresa May会晤欧洲议会议长（在线收听）

It’s probably generous to say the exact details of what Brexit looks like are little unclear. We still don’t know what Brexit would look like when it happens. But now, at least we are a little closer to know when British formal exit from the EU will begin.

Theresa May closely-held timetable was put out in the open by this man -- European Council president Donald Tusk. And it was at this meeting in Downing Street earlier this month that he said the Prime Minister had suggested a date for triggering Article 50. 

“She declared that it’s almost impossible to trigger Article 50 this year, but it’s quite likely that they will be ready maybe in January, maybe in February next year.”

Invoke Article 50 kick-starts the formal process of the UK leaving the EU. Once the process is triggered, the negotiations must be concluded within a 2-year period unless all 27 EU members states agree to extend the timetable.

“By the next general election, general election of 2020, the United Kingdom will be out if Theresa May opts EU and vote article 50 by 2017.”

Although Theresa May’s team won’t give a running commentary on Brexit, the issue of leaving the EU is set to dominate the party conferences.

“They have a deal forced upon our country about massive ramifications that absolutely nobody voted for would be a tragedy for our democracy and will damage our economies, so we will fight to make sure the British people must have their say before the United Kingdom has struck up a deal that nobody gave consensus to.”

Others have questioned the credibility of triggering Brexit at all in 2017.

“I also heard yesterday talks that perhaps there won’t be any negotiations on Brexit until the French and German elections, meaning that we could see no further progress on Brexit and no clear definition of what it means until 2018 or 2019.”

“It was here two months ago that the Conservative Party doubted around Theresa May to X the former Home Secretary the new Prime Minister and party leader. And since then she has stead vastly, kept silent about what sort of Brexit though she is looking for, aware that any pronouncement on freedom of movement rules or access to the single market is likely to reopen the bitter battle wounds of the EU referendum campaign.”

Donald Tusk has X the starting gun on British exit from the EU, and those surrounding Theresa May will be demanded in answers when the party gather for the annual conference in October. Theresa May can be silent no more.