How the Bill can pass into law in 10 days

Yesterday The Government formally introduced the European Union Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) with its first reading in the House of Commons, a technical procedure when MPS are not allowed to vote. MPS were allowed to table amendments from last night.

Today MPS will debate the Bill at the Second reading and will formally vote on the legislation in the first of a series of votes.

MPS will also debate and vote on a Programme Motion which will set out the amount of Parliamentary time given over to scrutinising the draft treaty.

No 10 says it wants the Bill to have passed through the Commons by the end of Thursday.

If the Programme Motion falls, MPS will be free to string out the debate on the Bill for weeks, potentially delaying the UK’S exit to a date agreed with the EU.

Tomorrow MPS will be able to put forward amendments in line by line scrutiny of the Bill. Hostile amendments could force the Government to agree to keep the UK in a customs union with the EU or even submit the deal to a second referendum.

Jacob Reesmogg, the Commons leader, said last night that it was possible that MPS “could sit through the night for three nights” if it is what MPS want.

Thursday If the Government’s Programme Motion has been passed, MPS will vote on the legislation at the Report stage.

The WAB passes from the House of Commons to the House of Lords. Peers are likely to vote today to reduce the mandatory 10 days between various stages of the Bill to just a few hours.

Friday The House of Commons will not be sitting. In the House of Lords peers will vote on the legislation passed from the Commons and then start to debate it line by line on the floor of the chamber.

Saturday Peers will continue to debate the Bill. Amendments can be tabled, debated, and voted on by peers as it reaches the Bill’s Report stage. Monday Peers finish debating the Bill in the House of Lords. MPS will return to the Commons to debate any amendments which have been tabled and passed in the Lords in a process known as “ping pong”. Tuesday Oct 29

The “ping pong” process between the Commons and the Lords can continue. Wednesday Oct 30 If the process has been exhausted in the Commons and Lords, the Bill is given its third reading and sent to Buckingham Palace for the Queen to grant it royal assent. Thursday Oct 31

The WAB has now been passed into law, allowing the UK to leave the EU at 11pm tonight UK time, bringing down the curtain on 46 years of Britain’s membership of the trading bloc.