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Polish policies are anti-democratic — European Parliament

“We need to be lucid about Europe’s situation”, Mr. Hollande said before a lunch with Ms. Merkel in Paris.

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Mr Davis reiterated to parliament this week his Brexit ministry would coordinate policy, not form it.

The U.K. won’t reveal many of its aims before that point because it would be a “gift to the other side” in negotiations with the European Union, he said.

Committee chairman Lord Lang of Monkton said: “The referendum result was clear and it is right that the Government are preparing to take Britain out of the EU”.

“Parliament should be asked to approve the decision to trigger Article 50”.

The European Parliament, which is the EU’s legislative body, approved a similar resolution in April. A resolution could be simpler and quicker to secure but might not provide the same watertight legal authority.

The minister, reflecting the chaotic state of early Brexit planning, said that he had been “given 180-degree opposite opinions on some things” in terms of how to proceed within the law.

Conservative backbencher Charlie Elphicke insisted the “mandate of the masses” given to the UK Government to take Britain out of the European Union should be acted upon as soon as possible to deliver “security, stability and certainty”.

This may come as a blow to the British government.

Downing Street rejected the peers’ demand for a parliamentary vote. “And we are getting smaller”, he said. The UK Government is yet to decide its position on this, and all other, major aspects of Brexit talks – including even the timing of discussions.

Liberal MEP Guy Verhofstadt told journalist Tuesday that he “cannot not imagine that we start a new legistaltive cycle without an agreement, and that we enter a new legislative cycle with no solution”.

On Brexit, Mr Juncker made clear the United Kingdom could not expect “a la carte” access to the internal market without accepting free movement of people and he touched on suspected post-referendum hate crime, saying: “We Europeans can never accept…”

“If you think of this building as a temple, then Mr Verhofstadt is the high priest”, he said.

Mr Davis and Mr Fox have since stuck to the official line and Mr Johnson has made few public comments. “Are we going to be sitting around after the two years is up waiting for approval?” The House if Lords Constitution Committee has published a report that has stated that by-passing Parliament and triggering Article 50 would be “unwise”, “constitutionally inappropriate” and “set a disturbing precedent”.

The bloc’s lawmakers also pointed to problems Wednesday with new legislation that gave the government control of public media and increased police surveillance powers, and expressed concerns over suggestions that abortions could be outlawed in Poland.

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WPP, the world’s largest advertising group, said its British operations showed signs in July of a “post-Brexit recovery”, adding that a plunge in the pound following Britain’s vote to leave the European Union had helped reported revenues.

German chancellor Angela Merkel's strong language ahead of summit. Pic Getty