‘Lazy’ Davis accused of tarrying over Brexit Bill
DAVID DAVIS has been accused by Cabinet colleagues of delaying the Brexit Bill by failing to schedule key meetings.
It has emerged that the legislation will not go back to the Commons until November.
The Brexit secretary is “not keeping his end of the bargain”, a Cabinet source told The Daily Telegraph, amid claims he has prevented the EU Withdrawal bill from coming back before MPS.
It follows claims made by his former chief of staff that Mr Davis is “lazy” and works just a threeday week.
A source for the Department for Exiting the European Union said: “We have regular meetings with parliamentary colleagues.” Any delay in the Commons could make it tough for ministers to push the bill through the House of Lords and is likely to prompt fury among business leaders, who have been calling for more certainty on what the final deal will look like.
Hundreds of amendments have been tabled on the legislation, with more expected to tip the pile to 400 by the end of the week.
Mr Davis, as the sponsor, must meet key figures in order to find a compromise and ensure that he can win over enough Conservative MPS who oppose it to stop the bill being blocked. But he stands accused of taking too long to set
up key meetings, as two senior sources involved in the process said they had been “surprised” by the time it has taken to arrange discussions.
Sources fear the delay has allowed MPS to table even more amendments, slowing the process down further and causing more work for those seeking to speed up agreement on the legislation.
On Monday, Mr Davis was spotted having coffee with Dominic Grieve, a key Tory rebel who has put forward a number of significant changes and has Labour support, but Cabinet sources said this was too little too late.
Their conversation is likely to have focused on what concessions rebels would be willing to accept to ensure the safe passage of the majority of the bill.
A Labour source said the Government is expected as a goodwill gesture to water down “Henry VIII” powers which allow it to push changes through without scrutiny by MPS.
The bill was expected to be back in the House of Commons for the committee stage straight after the party conference season. But government sources say reports of delays are inaccurate as no timetable had been set out publicly. The Prime Minister has been clear about her intention to deal with the question of the UK’S exit from the union as a matter of urgency.
Cabinet sources have told The Telegraph that Mr Davis is the reason for the hold-up because he has been dragging his feet over scheduling meetings with figures who had expressed concerns.
Although the extra time was thought to have handed whips the chance to persuade rebels to vote with the Government, sources close to the process claim they are keen to see it brought back to the Commons for debate to prevent more changes being suggested.
Mr Davis has not been “doing his prep”, one source said. Another said he had been keen to focus on talks in Brussels and saw this as his main priority. Mr Davis appears before the Commons Exiting the European Union select committee today.