JASON BEATTIE

THE publication of the Great Repeal Bill marks the start of the real Parliamentary battle over Brexit. So far the two sides have been fighting with pitchforks.

The conflict about to begin with be bloody, involve heavy armaments and could cost Theresa May her premiership.

The aim of the Bill, now titled the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, is to transfer existing EU law into UK law so we don’t fall into a legal void when we leave in March 2019.

This requires replacing an estimated 12,000 EU regulations in just 18 months.

To speed the process the Government will use a power which dates back to Henry VIII to let ministers change laws without a Commons vote.

Usually this is used to wave through minor legislation such as a road widening, but in this case it could be used, if MPs are not vigilant, to sneak through changes on anything.

Alarm bells rang when the Government said it would not transfer the European Charter of Fundamental Rights into UK law. This covers areas such as equal rights, human rights and the right to justice.

We can now expect months of Parliamentary warfare.