Plot to keep UK in single market after a vote to quit
PRO-REMAIN MPs are plotting to ignore the will of the people by voting to keep Britain in the single market – even if the referendum results in a Brexit victory.
This would mean continued freedom of movement and would igonore public concern about mass migration.
Anti-Brexit MPs on all benches – Tory, Labour, Lib Dem and SNP – could use their use their overwhelming majority in the Commons to force a Norwaystyle relationship with the EU.
Out campaigners warned last night that such a move would spark a ‘constitutional crisis’ as it would counter the spirit of a pro-Brexit referendum.
But MPs on the Remain side said such a move – dubbed guerrilla tactics by one source – would be justified because the Leave side have not set out the nature of Britain’s trading relationship with the EU if we left.
Some campaigners on the Leave side have even spoken in favour of the Norway model – although others have put forward a weaker relationship as enjoyed by Canada, which gets access to the single market but does not have to submit to free movement.
The Commons is overwhelmingly pro-EU, with just over 70 per cent of its present members campaigning for Remain on June 23.
One Leave source told the Guardian that MPs may even seek to reverse a pro-Brexit decision altogether if the negotiations with the EU on the UK’s exit terms produce a disastrous deal.
Sir Gerald Howarth, the former Tory defence minister, said he was ‘astonished’ that MPs would consider rejecting the ‘will of the people’.
But one pro-European MP said: ‘ We would have to respect the mandate of the referendum, but there is still plenty of scope on how and when we quit the EU.’
Labour’s Stephen Kinnock told the BBC he was afraid that a post-Brexit government might negotiate a limited free trade deal with the EU, which they say would damage the UK’s economy. If the British people voted to leave the EU that’s one thing,’ he said. ‘But can we really say that they voted for the devastation and destruction of the entire exporting sector of our economy?
‘I don’t think you can necessarily say that there’s a democratic mandate for that. Parliament may say “Well, we feel more comfort- able supporting the Norway model because at least that won’t destroy the entire British economy”.’
Parliament will have a key role to play in any postBrexit arrangements – not least because of the volume of existing legislation that will have to be amended. A general election – which could usher in a more Eurosceptic set of MPs – is not due until 2020.
Pro-Remain MPs believe the single market brings huge economic benefits, giving the UK access to 500million consumers. But staying inside the single market would mean Britain would have to keep its borders open to EU workers and continue paying into EU coffers.
Sir Gerald, who will be voting to Leave, said: ‘I was astonished when I heard this proposal. The key thing about this referendum is that people will be able – for the first time – express a view over the issue of Europe or immigration.
‘In a general election you are voting for a bundle of policies. If we vote to leave that will be the decisive will of the people.’
The former minister added: ‘For parliamentarians to be suggesting that they will ignore it I think will cause great anger among the public – and potentially a constitutional crisis.’
New Acts of Parliament would be needed to implement the withdrawal agreement. Acts that implement EU directives would need to be repealed or amended.
Charles Grant, director of the pro-EU Centre for European Reform think tank, said: ‘It is quite possible that Parliament would vote to impose the Norway model on a post-Brexit Tory government. Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are free marketers down to their finger tips and might be quite happy to be beaten up by Parliament and have this model imposed on them.’
A spokesman for the Leave campaign said: ‘If you vote Leave, Britain will negotiate a British option which will end the supremacy of EU law and take back control of our borders and our democracy and our economy.’
‘Decisive will of the people’