The UK is scheduled to leave the European Union at the end of this month, on 29 March 2019. The terms by which the United Kingdom and European Union interact and trade after this date should be determined in key votes that are taking place in Parliament this week.
In November the government reached a Withdrawal Agreement with the EU – but MPs rejected that agreement in January of this year due to dissatisfaction with the terms of the deal. This week, the Prime Minister will bring her deal back to the House of Commons after two months of negotiations with the EU for a second ‘meaningful vote’ on the deal.
MPs will vote on the deal on Tuesday 12 March. If the agreement passes, you can read RIBA’s blog on the Withdrawal Agreement to find out what that would mean for the sector. The UK will then have to begin negotiations on its future trading relationship with the EU.
Should Parliament reject the deal for a second time, MPs will then be given two further votes later this week – on whether they wish to leave the EU with no deal in place at the end of the month; or whether to seek an extension to the Brexit process.
The RIBA has been clear that a no deal Brexit is no option for British architecture or for the wider economy. The government’s own impact assessment and its technical notices show that leaving without a deal would lead to significant upheaval for the sector and have a disastrous impact on the economy. In January RIBA CEO Alan Vallance called for the government to extend the Article 50 process to avoid the risk of no deal.
While this week’s debates are ongoing the RIBA continues to urge practices and members to plan for the prospect of a no deal Brexit and consider what they may need to do in case the UK does leave the European Union without a deal. We have produced guidance for architects and guidance for practices on a no deal Brexit to help individuals and businesses plan for this possibility, which set out the potential impacts and how to prepare. There is still a risk of a no deal Brexit and all members should be planning for this eventuality.
Whatever decision is made this week the Brexit debate is not over, and the RIBA will continue ensuring that the voice of the sector is heard in the discussions that matter for architecture.
