The British Parliament has passed a bill that will allow Prime Minister Theresa May to start talks to leave the European Union.
The Queen will now sign it into law, clearing the way for May to trigger Article 50, beginning the process by which Britain will give up its EU membership.
May could begin the process as early as Tuesday, but it’s expected to be postponed until the end of the month to avoid a clash with Dutch elections on Wednesday.
The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, also threw the timetable into question earlier Monday by saying she’d ask the Scottish Parliament next week to grant her the power to call a new independence referendum — a move Downing Street said would be “divisive.”
The prospect of an independence vote, which could potentially end Scotland’s 310-year-old link to Great Britain, would add further uncertainty as May embarks on formal Brexit talks.