Politicians remain split over Brexit

Revoke Brexit petition debate illustrates “gridlock” among MPS over the entire issue

POLITICIANS locked horns over Brexit and the ongoing national “crisis” as they debated the record breaking petition calling for Parliament to revoke Article 50 – the legal process of leaving the European Union.

Over more than three hours – excluding a break to answer a ‘division bell’ in the House of Commons for one of many ‘indicative votes’ – MPs debated the Revoke Article 50 petition after it was signed by more than 6 million people.

The cross-party petitions committee met in Westminster Hall and acknowledged the “frustrations” of the British people who had taken part in the largest single event in British democratic history, the 2016 Referendum; 17.4 million people voting to quit the trading bloc.

Also before the committee earlier this month were petitions calling for the UK to leave on March 29 – the first date set for the move – and for a second referendum; both also debated after each was signed by more than 100,000 people.

During the debate the “chaos” of Brexit was variously described as “Parliamentary gridlock”; a “ludicrous situation”; an “impasse”; and politicians were accused of “playing political games.

And despite sitting late, all three motions passed without a vote – Labour’s Catherine McKinnell said: “It’s about time the government stopped burying its head in the sand and going round in circles.”

Rather than engaging in tit-for-tat that was driving the country to distraction, she said compromise was needed; adding: “Parliament cannot take this historic decision without the confidence it is something the public support.”

She earlier called for a national conversation which “clearly should have been held and listened to by the Prime Minister at the start of this historic process rather than one being commenced against her will just before midnight on the Brexit clock.”

Good faith

People voted in “good faith” in the referendum, some wishing to leave the EU as quickly as possible – but Ms McKinnell said even Vote Leave recognised the need for a negotiated deal; while both Labour and Conservative manifestos acknowledged the importance of a deal and a smooth transition.

She said people were “absolutely fed up to the back teeth with hearing about this issue day in and day out. They have had enough of Brexit dominating every bulletin, newspaper headline or radio discussion. Understandably, they just want what has turned into a national nightmare to be over.”

Heidi Allen, Independent, said people spoke of the divisiveness of a second referendum. “I argue nothing could be more healing than involving the entire country than involving the whole country in a decision about what to do next.”

Agreeing the call to revoke Article 50 was signed by “an unprecedented number of people because we live in unprecedented times”; Conservative Dr Julian Lewis asked whether instead of holding another referendum a petition should be put in place “and get a fraction of the population voting for it in order to set aside a democratic vote by a much larger number of people”.

Other MPs said the relationship between Britain and the EU continued to divide communities and generations just as it had in the 1975 referendum.

And Deidre Brock, SNP, said despite all the “fluff and flannel” since 2016 “it is fairly clear that leave never meant leave and Brexit never meant Brexit”.

Jenny Chapman, Labour, said people who signed the petitions and went on marches showed how many felt “left out and ignored” by the Brexit process, while the Prime Minister was too quick to stand up for one side of the argument and said “the 52% will get what they want and to hell with everyone else.”

Dreadful

She added: “That’s a dreadful way to run the country. We are here to serve the whole country, however they vote at elections or in a referendum.”

Government minister Chris Heaton-Harris, Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, said people voted to leave or remain for a number of reasons. “They are all legitimate; we must not debase the legitimacy of people’s actions.”

He said the government would deliver the outcome of the referendum. “The government’s position remains clear; we will not revoke article 50 and we will not hold a second referendum – we remain committed to leaving the EU, implementing the result of the 2016 referendum.”

The minister said in 2015 Parliament “overwhelmingly” voted to stage a referendum and the following year 17.4 million people voted to leave the EU.

“Second guessing or reversing the outcome of the 2016 referendum damages the trust the British people placed in their government – it gives cause for the British people to lose faith in politics and politicians and in the most important democratic process of all; voting.”

Mr Heaton-Harris concluded: “If we cannot show that we can uphold and respect the result of one referendum; would we need a third or best of five?

“The government is trying to move forward with certainty as we deliver the instructions we were given.”

“Parliament cannot take this historic decision without the confidence it is something the public support.”