Prime minister can trigger formal exit procedure from EU, says UK minister

Lawyers have advised the British government that the prime minister does not need parliamentary approval to trigger the procedure to leave the European Union, government minister Oliver Letwin said on Tuesday. Formal talks on Britain's exit cannot start until it triggers Article 50 of the EU treaty, after which it has two years to negotiate the terms of its exit. Prime Minister David Cameron, who has announced his resignation but is staying in power until his ruling Conservatives choose a new le