The Brexit Bill is undemocratic
THE so-called “Brexit Bill” — the legislation that will be presented to the House of Commons in order to trigger Article 50 — is an affront to our democracy.
The compressed timetable adheres to Theresa May’s irresponsible deadline to inflict a hard Brexit nobody voted for. At just 133 words it makes the SNP and Labour’s proposed amendments look ridiculous, but it also gives the Prime Minister carte blanche to implement a Brexit on her terms only.
To fast-track legislation of this magnitude, given its importance to our country’s future, is an insult to all the people who live here and to democracy. Only with scrutiny of, and sensible discussion on, what Brexit should look like can we actually progress. Proper scrutiny will take time to reflect the best interests of the whole country — not just the few in power. commuters are being advised to avoid it for the whole of that month [“Most of Waterloo will shut in month of rail disruption”, January 26]. Yet six weeks ago, South West Trains happily sold me a 12-month season ticket from Farnham to Waterloo. Will they now refund me one month’s worth of travel, since I and my fellow travellers are obviously personae non grata? Adding flats to Oxford Street buildings, as Cllr Aiken suggests, will do nothing to solve the shortage of affordable housing in the long run, unless they are reserved for those in need [“‘I’m throwing down the OUR referendum decision was fair and democratic, as the Electoral Commission concluded.
It was a national vote, not one counted constituency by constituency, so all MPs, however their constituents are thought to have voted, should feel obliged to honour our decision to leave the EU.
Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that the Government may not trigger Article 50 without putting it to our MPs, Parliament has just one duty: to pass a law triggering Article 50 as soon as possible.
Parliament is not sovereign over the people; it derives its authority from the people, and as such must strive to serve them. LEAVE voters were misled by statements made by the Leave campaign during the EU referendum. So why should the ill-informed 52 per cent of those who voted be allowed to plunge us into a grim future? I would also ask why must the whole Labour Party vote according to the delusion of one vain man.
Jeremy Corbyn’s image as a “champion of the people” appears to render him unable to concede that sometimes ignorance should be identified for what it is. It is not too late for us to backtrack on Brexit. At the very least, Corbyn should allow a free vote.
To fast-track legislation of this magnitude is an insult to all the people who live in this country Kelly-Marie Blundell
THE price that our country will have to pay for Brexit is evident. In political terms, our relations with European nations will become uncertain, while our NHS workforce will be severely affected if EU migrants are forced to leave.
One would think that the Government would have a workable plan for Brexit in place. It doesn’t, which means that our MPs should block Article 50. It is in everyone’s interest to protect our country from the inevitable chaos that faces us if we leave the EU. gauntlet to boost supply of homes in London’”. January 26]. They will be snapped up by those with the most money and we will be back to where we were before. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he didn’t know where to go when he was sent from the dugout by the match officials during the game against Burnley. Perhaps he should ask some of the 114 players who have been sent off during his 20 years at Arsenal? Shouldn’t he make the effort to consult the laws of the game? As for his punishment, the FA’s relaunched Respect campaign ought to invoke the punishments laid down some years ago. When a manager was sent off, he was banned for a number of matches and was not even allowed into the stadium. What a message that would send out to the top managers. I was so sad to hear of John Lawas’s story [“Lorry driver on Facebook leaves boy with brain injuries in crash”, January 26]. I hope our MEPs will use their remaining time in Brussels and Strasbourg productively by lobbying for stronger penalties across Europe for drivers caught using mobile phones while driving.