January 18, 2018•Update: January 18, 2018
By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal
LONDON
British lawmakers approved the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill late Wednesday after weeks of debate.
The House of Commons voted 324 to 295 in favor of the bill, which will now progress to the House of Lords.
The key legislation, also known as the Brexit bill, aims to end the supremacy of EU law in Britain as the country leaves the bloc.
However, the bill is likely to return to the House of Commons as peers already have signaled the addition of new amendments in the upper house.
"We are pleased that the Bill has successfully completed this stage of its passage through Parliament,” Brexit Secretary David Davis said following the vote.
"From the beginning, our approach has been to work constructively with MPs from across the House wherever possible to improve the bill," Davis said.
"This is a critical piece of legislation that aims to maximize certainty for individuals and businesses after our exit.
"We are looking forward to working with peers as the bill enters its next stage of scrutiny in the House of Lords at the end of this month," he added.
British lawmakers previously passed an amendment to the much-debated bill that gave parliament more say over the final Brexit deal.
MPs voted 309 to 305 in favor of the amendment, dealing Prime Minister Theresa May a major blow.
On Wednesday, a cross-party amendment that would have guaranteed continued membership in the European single market and customs union before ministers can implement any withdrawal agreement was rejected after more than 40 Labour MPs voted against it.
The second phase of Brexit negotiations, which will focus on future trade between Britain and the union, is expected to start in March.
The U.K. is set to leave the EU in March 2019.
