Britain has taken steps to hold European Parliament (EP) elections in May, triggering anger by eurosceptics in what could turn into an informal second referendum on Brexit.
"As a responsible government, today we have taken the necessary steps required by law should we have to participate," a British government spokesman said on Monday (8 April).
"It does not make these elections inevitable, as leaving the EU before the date of election automatically removes our obligation to take...
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Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.