Region’s MPs defy Corbyn on Brexit Bill vote
Duo among Labour rebels backing May’s legislation
THERESA MAY was last night set to avoid an embarrassing defeat in the Commons as Yorkshire Labour MPs defied their leader to vote with the Government on a crucial piece of Brexit legislation.
Don Valley MP Caroline Flint and Rother Valley MP Sir Kevin Barron were among a number of Labour backbenchers expected to break the party whip by abstaining or voting in favour of the EU Withdrawal Bill.
Their decision dealt a major blow to leader Jeremy Corbyn, who ordered his MPs to vote again the Bill over concerns about a Government “power-grab”. But the threat of a Government defeat is not over, as reports suggest Tory rebels could join opposition MPs in demanding changes at a later stage.
Ms Flint, whose constituents backed Brexit by a majority of two to one, was one of the first Labour MPs to announce she would abstain in last night’s vote. Explaining her decision, she warned that any attempt to “kill” the legislation “would cause huge problems” for the Brexit process.
“I do not regard this Bill as hugely controversial... The truth is, whoever was in Government, we would have to pass a Bill of this kind to prepare for leaving the EU,” Ms Flint told the Commons. “And there can be little disagreement on that, unless your ambition is to thwart the result of the EU referendum and prevent or delay the UK leaving the EU.”
Confirming his decision to abstain on Twitter, Sir Kevin stated that a vote against the Bill “would be a contradiction” of the promises he made during the election. “Before the Article 50 vote in January I promised not to block or delay any legislation related to our exit from the EU. I repeated this promise in much of my election literature,” he wrote. But he added that he would “carry on pressuring the Government” to ensure Ministers secure a good Brexit deal, and would be willing to back amendments to the Bill later.
The piece of legislation – one of eight Brexit-related Bills due to come forward in this Parliamentary session – aims to transfer relevant EU law onto the UK statute book. A number of Tory backbenchers yesterday joined opposition MPs in expressing concern about the use of “Henry VIII clauses” in the Bill, which grant Ministers the power to make changes to related laws without full Parliamentary scrutiny.
Many made it clear they would vote in favour of a second reading, but expect significant changes to the most contentious clauses when it enters committee stage. The scale of cross-party support for such reforms could force Ministers to make concessions – or risk a defeat. Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Education Minister Robert Goodwill indicated that the Government would be willing to consider amendments that “improve the Bill”. He added: “We seem to have very small numbers on our side who have issues with some of this [but] the Conservative Party... is very much behind the Prime Minister in her wish to deliver a successful Brexit.”
THE CONTROVERSIAL £1 billion deal the Tories struck with the DUP in order to gain a Commons majority on key votes will need to be approved by Parliament, it has emerged.
Responding to a legal letter from campaigner Gina Miller and the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), the Treasury solicitor said the investment package for Northern Ireland “will have appropriate Parliamentary authorisation”.
Ms Miller, whose legal action forced the Government to give MPs and peers a vote on triggering Article 50 which formally began the EU withdrawal process, said Prime Minister Theresa May should have made it clear at the time of the deal that it would need the approval of Parliament. She said: “It beggars belief that, neither at the time the Government sealed its dubious deal with the DUP in exchange for their votes in the Commons, nor at any point since, has the Government made it clear that the £1 billion of taxpayers’ money for Northern Ireland could only be handed over following Parliamentary approval.
“We all need to know when the Government intended to come clean to Parliament, its parliamentary party, and the public.
“When was parliamentary time going to be found to authorise this payment? And did the DUP know the cheque the Government promised to pay might bounce?
“On the day the Government is asking MPs to grant it sweeping new powers, and in the week it is trying to pack parliamentary scrutiny committees to blatantly change the rules in their favour, MPs are entitled to wonder what else the Government may have ‘forgotten’ to tell them.”
The Government said in the letter to Ms Miller that no timetable had been set for making the Northern Ireland payments.
Some Tory backbenchers have expressed unease about the “confidence and supply” agreement with the socially conservative DUP which sees its 10 MPs back the Government on key votes.
General secretary of the IWGB Jason Moyer-Lee said: “Many IWGB members’ jobs depend on public money, like foster care workers and low-paid outsourced university staff.
“They are routinely told that there’s no money available to improve their pay, holidays, and other terms and conditions they demand.
“Yet when it comes to keeping themselves in power, this Government’s fiscal discipline quickly dissipates.
“There’s undoubtedly a need for increased social spending throughout the UK but this should be on a basis of fairness; not self-serving party politics.”
He added: “As a result of our threatened legal action the Government has admitted that the money can only be approved by Parliament.
“It is now for Parliament and MPs to vote according to the interests of working people across the whole UK.”
Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Peter Dowd, said Chancellor Philip Hammond needs to reveal where the money for the deal is coming from.