LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May wants to trigger Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union without a vote in parliament beforehand, a report said on Saturday. A source in her office said that May was ‘committed to deliver the public’s verdict in June’s referendum’ – when 52% voted for Britain to leave the EU. May’s government already faces a legal challenge to begin the process of leaving the EU without an act of parliament. Lawyers from the Mishcon de Reya lawfirm are poised to challenge the government in the English High Court, arguing that May cannot trigger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty – the legal process for leaving the bloc – without the parliament authorising it. A majority of members of parliament’s lower House of Commons campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU – including May. Once Article 50 is triggered, it would start a two-year countdown on Britain’s exit from the EU. “It will not be triggered this year as the government needs time to shape Britain’s exit objectives first,” May said. Meanwhile Gus O’Donnell – former head of the civil service – said Brexit was not inevitable and Britain could still remain a part of the changed EU. “It depends on what the public’s opinion is and whether the EU has changed before Britain was ready to leave,” he said. The former civil service head told BBC radio that it was not clear which leaders May will be negotiating with as France and Germany have elections planned in the coming year. However, bookmakers believe that there is a one in eight chance of a second Brexit referendum before the end of 2020.