Britain wants Brexit deal approved before EU parliament opens in July – PM May’s deputy

British Prime Minister Theresa May’s government wants to get her thrice-defeated Brexit deal approved by parliament before the new European Union parliament opens in July, according to her de-facto deputy, David Lidington. The cabinet office minister said in Glasgow that the atmosphere at talks with the opposition Labour Party was productive, Reuters reports. He could not give an exact time for when the Brexit deal would be brought back to parliament but that it could not drift. He added that the timing depended on discussions with the Labour Party. Asked if the deal would be brought back to parliament before the EU parliament elections, Lidington said the government wanted to bring it back to parliament as soon as possible. He also ruled out any referendum on Scottish independence before 2021.