COMMENT

MONDAY night’s vote to pass the EU (Withdrawal) Bill at second reading is a step in the right direction but we must be vigilant against those who would derail Brexit.

And while Brexiteers might find comfort in the actions of a few honourable Labour MPs to support the Bill’s passage, the conditional support offered by certain Tory MPs shows that the battle to get this legislation through the Commons intact will be hard.

In treading the tightrope of minority rule, the Government must be wary not to get sucked into a never-ending spiral of concessions and capitulations – remembering the purpose behind this Bill.

The desire to regain control of British sovereignty is a key reason why many across the country voted to leave the EU. This Bill is the facilitator of that desire – transferring decades of EU rules and regulation into British law.

Detractors’ arguments are poor excuses for ongoing bitterness at being on the wrong side of the vote. Where were their complaints when, for decade after decade, the Biro brushes of countless Brussels bureaucrats waltzed onto British statute books?

We must still remember that, while we have a Government committed to delivering Brexit, the fight must never stop against those who paint us as narrowminded and ill-informed.

We will be watching our politicians closely as this key legislation inches through – any attempt to hamper its progress will be seen as an almighty establishment stitch-up.