Tories accuse Labour of recklessness on Brexit

Parliament is set for a dramatic clash over Brexit after Labour announced its MPs will vote against the key piece of legislation taking Britain out of the EU.

Jeremy Corbyn’s party will hope its decision to oppose the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill at second reading will split the Conservatives when it comes to a vote on Monday.

But Labour was accused of recklessness by Tories, who said failure to get the bill through Parliament would risk a chaotic Brexit in 2019.

The row blew up as Brexit secretary David Davis briefed the House of Commons on the progress of negotiations in Brussels, which he said had been “tough” but had made “significant steps forward” on issues like citizens’ rights and the Irish border.

The Brexit secretary was jeered by Labour MPs as he told the Commons: “Nobody has ever pretended this would be simple or easy.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer reminded him that Dr Fox had said striking an agreement with the EU would be “one of the easiest deals in human history”, while Mr Davis himself predicted that free trade deals covering an area massively greater than the EU would be in place by the time of withdrawal.

The bill is facing a backlash from some senior Tories, Labour and the Liberal Democrats as it contains so-called “Henry VIII powers” which would allow changes to be made to British law without full parliamentary scrutiny.

But the Government insists the powers will be time-limited and used only to make technical amendments.