crossbench
イギリスのメイ首相が，EUを離脱するための正式な書類に署名をしました。今後はEUと協議の上，イギリスがEUから離脱することになります。
記事の中で気になった単語は"crossbench"です。『Wisdom英和辞典第三版』（三省堂）を調べたところ「(英国議会の) 無所属議員席」という意味がありました。Oxford Dictionaries.comには"(in the House of Lords and some other legislatures) a bench occupied by members who are independent of any political party."と定義されております。本格的な交渉はこれからですが，いったいどのような取り決めが結ばれていくのかが気になります。(Ume)
Article 50: May signs letter that will trigger Brexit
Chancellor Philip Hammond said the triggering of Article 50 was "a pivotal moment for Britain" and insisted the government "will get a deal".
But he suggested on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that ministers would be prepared to compromise during the process, adding: "Everybody in the EU and the UK is going to go into this negotiation looking to protect their own interests...
"We understand that we can't cherry-pick, we can't have our cake and eat it - that by deciding to leave the EU and negotiate a future relationship with the EU as an independent nation, there will be certain consequences of that and we accept those."
He said EU citizens could still move to the UK and have their full rights while the UK remains "full members of the EU for the next two years".
But crossbench peer Lord Gus O'Donnell, formerly Britain's top civil servant, likened the triggering of Article 50 to being "in a plane being flown by members of the EU and we're about to jump out and we have got a parachute designed by the people flying the plane - and they have designed it in a way to deter anyone else jumping out".
