May urges Britons to get behind Brexit deal

British Prime Minister Theresa May has written a letter to the public pleading for their support for her Brexit deal, as the EU prepares to formally sign it off.

In May's "letter to the nation" -- published on the eve of the EU summit on Sunday, she claimed the deal was "in our national interest" and would work for all parts of the UK.

Leaving the EU on March 29, 2019 will mark "a new chapter in our national life", she said.

"It must mark the point when we put aside the labels of 'Leave' and 'Remain' for good and we come together again as one people. To do that, we need to get on with Brexit now by getting behind this deal," the BBC quoted her as saying.

The Prime Minister said she would be campaigning "with (her) heart and soul" to get members of Parliament to pass the deal in the House of Commons and "honour the result of the referendum".

She said the deal delivers on Brexit by ending free movement of people and "vast" annual payments to the EU.

"With Brexit settled", the government will be able to focus on issues such as the economy, the NHS and building homes, she added.

The prime minister said her agreement promises a "brighter future" for the UK and leaving the EU in 2019, will be "a moment of renewal and reconciliation for our whole country", the BBC reported.

EU leaders are in Brussels for a summit to decide whether to endorse the deal. European Council chief Donald Tusk has recommended all 27 countries to approve it during the Sunday summit.

Spain -- which had threatened to boycott the summit -- has conceded after a last-minute disagreement over Gibraltar was resolved on Saturday.

However, even if the EU agrees to the deal, it needs to be passed by UK Parliament, and many MPs - including May's own Conservative Party - have stated they would vote against it.

--IANS

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