Portrait of the week | 16 March 2017

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Theresa May, the Prime Minister, decided to delay until later in the month the invoking of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to trigger the Brexit process, even though her power to do so had been confirmed by the passing of the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Act. The Commons had defeated two amendments added by the House of Lords: one concerning continuing rights of EU residents in Britain by 335 votes to 287; the other about Parliament having a meaningful vote on any Brexit deal by 331 to 286. The Lords quiesced once the Bill was sent back for their consideration. A great deal of attention was grabbed by Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, calling the press to the drawing-room of Bute House in Edinburgh and announcing that she wanted another referendum on independence between the autumn of 2018 and the spring of 2019. Briefings on behalf of Mrs May insisted that no such referendum could be held until well after Britain had left the EU.