Johnson strikes first as Brexit bill passes
● PM goes on the offensive against SNP as EU exit is sealed in law
Boris Johnson went on the offensive against the SNP and the case for Scottish in depen dence as legislation to enact Brexit finally completed its journey through par - liament, putting into law the UK’S departure from the EU in a week’s time.
In a bitter Commons clash, the SNP’S Westminster leader Ian Blackford told Mr Johnson that Scotland said no to Brexit, “and we meant it” – only to have the line thrown back at him over nationalist demands for a second independence referendum.
Last night the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill was passed by the House of Lords and will receive Royal Assent today.
Amendments passed by peers earlier this week on EU citizens rights and commitments on granting asylum to unaccompanied child refugees were stripp ed away by the Tories using their large commons majority, with the House of Lords accepting the bill that was sent back to them yesterday.
“At times it felt like we would never cross the Brexit finish line, but we’ve done it ,” Mr Johnson said last night, promising to “move forwards as one United Kingdom.”
“Now we can put the ran - cour and division of the past three years behind us and focus on delivering a bright, exciting future – with better hospitals and schools, safer streets and opportunity spread to every corner of our country.”
The presidents of the European Council and Commission are expected to sign the withdrawal agreement in Brussels on Friday, following by the Prime Minister adding his signature in London.
ME P Sat the European Parliament will hold a vote to approve the deal on 29 January, two days beforeBr exit takes effect.
Anticipating SNP complaints that“devolution is under attack from this Tory government”, Mr Johnson went on the offensive at Prime Minister’s Questions, attacking the Scottish Government’s record on education and critic ising plans for “a new currency whose name they cannot even specify”.
The Prime Minister didn’t wait for the Mr Blackford to speak, using the preceding question on schools in England to make the first strike on the issue of Scotland’s future.
Mr Johnson called on the SNP’S Westminster leader to “explain why his party is still so obsessed with breaking up our Union rather than delivering for the children and the pupils of Scotland.”
Mr Black ford highlighted votes in all three devolved assemblies, withholding consent for Withdrawal Agree - ment Bill.
“There is no respect for the people of Scotland, for Wales and Northern Ireland, for their governments or their decisions,” Mr Blackford said.
Borrowing a line from the Scottish Conservative general election campaign, he continued :“The prime minister just doesn’ t get it. This is an unprecedented attack. Scotland said no, and we meant it .”
The Prime Minister said he “agreed with the honourable gentleman for a second because he said Scotland said no and it meant it - and he was right. The people of Scotland said no to independence in 2014.”
Mr Johnson kept up the assault on the case for inde - pen dencei nan answer to SNP MP Angus Macneil, who called for an impact assessment of the hit to UK international trade from leaving the European single market.
“I might take the honourable gentleman more seriously if he would deal with the fact that 60 percent of Scotland’s trade is with there st of the United Kingdom, his proposals for the breakup of the United Kingdom would necessitate a border at Berwick, and he is proposing the pensioners of Scotland should have their assets denominated in a new currency whose name they cannot even specify,” Mr Johnson hit back.