SIDEBAR Pro-EU lawmakers vow to hold May to "Brexit contract"

London (dpa) - A cross-party group of pro-EU British lawmakers has vowed to hold Prime Minister Theresa May to account on a "Brexit contract" covering 10 key promises made by her government and leading Brexit campaigners from her Conservative party. Issued by Open Britain ahead of May‘s triggering of formal Brexit negotiations, the document "sets out what the government and Vote Leave have promised to deliver from the UK‘s departure from the European Union."Vote Leave, co-led by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, was one of the two main groups campaigning for Brexit before a referendum in June, when 52 per cent voted to leave the EU.The pro-EU Open Britain group - led by Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat lawmakers - said it wants the British people and parliament to be able to judge whether the government is delivering what was promised before and after the referendum.The promises include securing the "exact same benefits" that Britain enjoys within the EU single market and customs union.The "Brexit contract" said the government should be expected to announce "lots of new trade deals with new countries that are ready to sign on the day of [Britain‘s] departure from the EU."Any savings from Britain‘s EU contributions should be invested in public services, including 350 million pounds (440 million dollars) per week for the national health service, as promised repeatedly by Vote Leave during its Brexit campaigning.The public must also expect the government to achieve "a dramatic reduction in net migration while also keeping the UK open to the talent and skills that UK business need," it said."There is no mandate for the form Brexit takes: responsibility for the outcome now rests with those conducting negotiations and those advocating a hard Brexit," Conservative Nicky Morgan, Labour‘s Chris Leslie and former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said in a joint statement."Vote Leave and the government have made specific promises," they said."Now that Article 50 is being triggered, people will expect these promises to be delivered: this is the government‘s Brexit Contract with the British people."