MPs will be told ‘take it or leave it’ on Brexit agreement

BRITAIN WILL leave the EU without an agreement if MPs vote down proposed legislation which seeks to implement any deal, according to David Davis.

The Brexit Secretary was accused of trying to “buy off ” Tory rebels by announcing a “worthless” Withdrawal Agreement and Implementation Bill, which would be brought forward if a deal is agreed with the EU.

Mr Davis said the Government had recognised the need to take further steps to provide “clarity and certainty” regarding the implementation of an agreement into UK law. MPs heard the Bill, if approved, would ensure major policy of the Brexit agreement is implemented via primary legislation.

Speaking in the Commons, Conservative former Minister Owen Paterson asked: “If the House of Commons votes down the new withdrawal bill, will the consequence be we still leave on March 29 2019, but without an agreement?” Mr Davis replied: “Yes.”

Tory former Minister Anna Soubry added the new piece of legislation will only apply if there is an agreement.

She asked Mr Davis: “Can you confirm in the event of no agreement – no deal – this place will have no say, and we will leave on that date, because it’s on the face of the Bill, without any say from this supposedly sovereign Parliament which voted to take back control?”

Mr Davis replied: “If we don’t have a withdrawal agreement we can’t have a withdrawal agreement bill, full stop.” Labour former

Minister Chris Leslie added: “Hasn’t (Mr Davis) just given the game away of what a sham offer this is?

“Totally worthless to Parliament, essentially trying to buy off people by saying: ‘Oh look, we’re going to give you an act to shape things’, when in fact this is a post hoc, after-the-horse-has-bolted piece of legislation.

“We might have left the European Union, the treaty and the deal would have been done and Parliament could do nothing at all to shape the nature of that withdrawal agreement.

“(Mr Davis) has to do much better than this. Parliament must have a say on that withdrawal agreement before we are thrown over the cliff edge.”

Mr Davis said the probable sequence of events would see the withdrawal agreement concluded in the “latter part of next year”, with the EU aiming for October.

He went on: “If we do that, then the withdrawal and treaty vote will come to the House, the simple in principle vote, then as soon as possible thereafter the withdrawal agreement bill will come in front of the House.

“That’s the sequence and that will leave plenty of time and amended at the time.”

Hilary Benn, Labour chairman of the Exiting the European Union Committee and Leeds Central MP, said Mr Davis’s announcement was “another recognition of the Government having to listen” to MPs. Mr Davis said that the weakness of extending time under Article 50 was that it had to be agreed unanimously. Mr Davis said: “A meaningful vote is a vote which allows you to say you want the deal or you don’t want the deal, and that won’t be any different.”