Tag: Withdrawal Agreement Bill

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EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill 2019-20

European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill – Timetable

The Government attempted to fast-track the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill 2019-20 through Parliament. The proposed timetable was rejected by MPs on 22 October 2019 following a vote with 308 in favour and 322 against.

Hansard: http://bit.ly/2MFGtV9

European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill (PROGRAMME)

Motion made, and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 83A(7)),

That the following provisions shall apply to the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill:

Committal

(1) The Bill shall be committed to a Committee of the whole House.

Proceedings in Committee

(2) Proceedings in Committee of the whole House shall be completed in two days.

(3) The proceedings shall be taken on each of those days as shown in the first column of the following Table and in the order so shown.

(4) The proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at the times specified in the second column of the Table:

Table
Proceedings Time for conclusion of proceedings
At today's sitting
Clauses 1 to 4; new Clauses relating to Part 1; new Schedules relating to Part 1 Three hours after the commencement of proceedings on the Motion for this Order.
Second day
Clauses 21 to 23; Schedule 3; Clause 24; Clauses 29 to 34; Schedule 4; Clauses 35 and 36; new Clauses relating to any of Clauses 21 to 23, Schedule 3, Clause 24, Clauses 29 to 34, Schedule 4, Clause 35 or Clause 36; new Schedules relating to any of Clauses 21 to 23, Schedule 3, Clause 24, Clauses 29 to 34, Schedule 4, Clause 35 or Clause 36 Six hours after the commencement of proceedings on the Bill on the second day.
Clauses 7 to 14; Schedule 1; Clause 15; Schedule 2; Clauses 16 and 17; new Clauses relating to Part 3; new Schedules relating to Part 3 Six hours after the commencement of proceedings on the Bill on the second day
Clauses 18 to 20; Clauses 5 and 6; Clauses 25 to 28; Clauses 37 and 38; Schedule 5; Clause 39; Schedule 6; Clause 40; new Clauses relating to any of Clauses 18 to 20, Clauses 5 and 6, Clauses 25 to 28, Clauses 37 and 38, Schedule 5, Clause 39, Schedule 6 or Clause 40; new Schedules relating to any of Clauses 18 to 20, Clauses 5 and 6, Clauses 25 to 28, Clauses 37 and 38, Schedule 5, Clause 39, Schedule 6 or Clause 40 Nine hours after the commencement of proceedings on the Bill on the second day
New Clauses relating to a further referendum in connection with the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union, new Schedules relating to a further referendum in connection with the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union, remaining new Clauses, remaining new Schedules, remaining proceedings on the Bill Twelve hours after the commencement of proceedings on the Bill on the second day.

Proceedings on Consideration and up to and including Third Reading

(5) Any proceedings on Consideration, any proceedings in legislative grand committee and proceedings on Third Reading shall be taken in one day in accordance with the following provisions of this Order.

(6) Any proceedings on Consideration and any proceedings in legislative grand committee shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion six hours after the commencement of proceedings on the Bill on that day.

(7) Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion eight hours after the commencement of proceedings on the Bill on that day.

Programming committee

(8) Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to proceedings in Committee of the whole House, to any proceedings on Consideration or to other proceedings up to and including Third Reading.

Consideration of Lords Amendments

(9) Proceedings on consideration of Lords Amendments shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour after their commencement.

Subsequent stages

(10) Any further Message from the Lords may be considered forthwith without any Question being put.

(11) The proceedings on any further Message from the Lords shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour after their commencement.

Having failed to get agreement on their proposed timetable for the passage of the Bill through Parliament, the Government has paused future discussion on the Bill to a future date that is currently undefined – in other words, further progress on the Bill is halted.

Future business on the 23 and 24 October 2019 will now continue with debate on the Queen’s Speech on the NHS and conclusion of debate on the Queen’s Speech on the Economy.

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EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill 2019-20

European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill – 2nd Reading

The 2nd Reading of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill 2019-20 was held on Tuesday 22 October 2019.

No amendments were selected by the Speaker.

The debate was opened by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson:

Hansard: http://bit.ly/35ZfoE8

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

We come together now, in the very best traditions of this House, to scrutinise this Bill and then take the decision that this country expects: to make the verdict of the British people the law of the land so that we can leave the European Union with our new deal on 31 October.

I of course wish that this decision on our national future had been taken through a meaningful vote on Saturday, but I respect perfectly the motives of my right hon. Friend the Member for West Dorset (Sir Oliver Letwin), although I disagree with the effects of his amendment.

I regret, too, that after Saturday’s vote the Government have been forced to act on the advice of the Cabinet Secretary and to take the only responsible course, which is to accelerate our preparations for a no-deal outcome.

Today, we have the opportunity to put all that right, because if this House backs this Bill and if we ratify this new deal, which I believe is profoundly in the interests of our whole United Kingdom and of our European friends, we can get Brexit done and move our country on—and we can de-escalate those no-deal preparations immediately and turn them off next week, and instead concentrate on the great enterprise of building a new relationship of the closest co-operation and friendship, as I said on Saturday, with our European neighbours and on addressing our people’s priorities at home.
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Following debate lasting for approximately 5 hours 30 minutes a vote was taken and the 2nd Reading passed by 329 votes in favour with 299 against.

285 Conservative, 25 Independent and 19 Labour MPs voted in favour.

10 DUP MPs voted against the 2nd Reading.

Further Reading:

The House of Commons Library published a Research Briefing of The October 2019 EU UK Withdrawal Agreement at

https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-8713

and a copy of the report is available at:

The October 2019 EU UK Withdrawal Agreement ( Research Briefing (pdf) )

Other Briefing Papers prepared by the House of Commons Library are available from

https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-8686

Currently, the following documents are available:

Ratification provisions

The future relationship negotiations

The transition period

Citizens’ rights provisions

Workers’ rights provision

The financial settlement

Implications for devolved institutions

The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland

Sovereignty, special status and the Withdrawal Agreement

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EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill 2019-20

Press Release – Withdrawal Agreement Bill

The Department for Exiting the European Union issued a Press Release as a Withdrawal Agreement Bill was introduced to Parliament on 21 October 2019.

The bill will implement the new deal agreed with the EU in UK law.

The Government has today introduced its landmark Brexit bill, which enshrines the new deal we have negotiated with the EU in UK law.

This deal abolishes the backstop in the old deal. The Government put forward a reasonable compromise, based on the key principles of consent for the people of Northern Ireland, and the UK leaving the EU Customs Union whole and entire, which was agreed at European Council last week. The EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill puts those internationally agreed obligations into domestic law.

This week MPs will have the chance to pass this bill, to respect the result of the referendum and to leave with a deal on October 31 in an orderly and friendly way. MPs voted overwhelmingly to trigger Article 50 in 2017 to start the process of leaving the EU and supporting this bill is the final stage to make that happen. This will allow the country to move on and for the Government to return its focus to delivering on the people’s domestic priorities: investing in the NHS, tackling serious and violent crime, and levelling up funding on schools.

The bill will implement the new deal agreed with the EU in UK law:

  • Delivering Brexit, with a deal, on October 31
  • Ending vast annual payments to Brussels
  • Protecting the integrity of the UK as we leave the EU, without the need for the backstop
  • Protecting the rights of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens in UK law so that they can continue to live, study and work in the UK
  • Securing an implementation period to give businesses continuity and greater certainty as they prepare for the change in relationship we will have with the EU.

Brexit Secretary, Steve Barclay, said:

“The Prime Minister has successfully negotiated a great new deal without the anti-democratic backstop which many said would be impossible.

MPs and Peers today have in front of them a bill that will get Brexit done by October 31, protect jobs and the integrity of the UK, and enable us to move onto the people’s priorities like health, education and crime.

This is the chance to leave the EU with a deal on October 31. If Parliament wants to respect the referendum, it must back the bill.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-introduces-landmark-withdrawal-agreement-bill-to-parliament

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Brexit Brexit Negotiations

PM statement on new Brexit deal: 22 May 2019

Prime Minister Theresa May’s statement in the House of Commons on the new Brexit deal.

Transcript:

With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the Government’s work to deliver Brexit by putting forward a new deal that members of this House can stand behind. We need to see Brexit through, to honour the result of the referendum, and to deliver the change the British people so clearly demanded. I sincerely believe that most members of this House feel the same. That, for all our division and disagreement, we believe in democracy. That we want to make good on the promise we made to the British people when we asked them to decide on the future of our EU membership.

As to how we make that happen, recent votes have shown that there is no majority in this House for leaving with no deal. And this House has voted against revoking Article 50. It is clear that the only way forward is leaving with a deal – but it is equally clear that this will not happen without compromise on all sides of the debate.

That starts with the Government, which is why we have just held six weeks of detailed talks with the Opposition – talks that the Leader of the Opposition chose to end before a formal agreement was reached, but which nonetheless revealed areas of common ground. And having listened to the Opposition, to other party leaders, to the devolved administrations, to business leaders, trade unionists and others, we are now making a 10-point offer to Members across the House.

Ten changes that address the concerns raised by Hon and Rt Hon Members. Ten binding commitments that will be enshrined in legislation so they cannot simply be ignored. And 10 steps that will bring us closer to the bright future that awaits our country once we end the political impasse and get Brexit done.

First, we will protect British jobs by seeking as close to frictionless trade in goods with the EU as possible while outside the single market and ending free movement. The government will be placed under a legal duty to negotiate our future relationship on this basis.

Second, we will provide much-needed certainty for our vital manufacturing and agricultural sectors by keeping up to date with EU rules for goods and agri-food products that are relevant to checks at the border. Such a commitment – which will also be enshrined in legislation – will help protect thousands of skilled jobs that depend on just-in-time supply chains.

Third, we will empower Parliament to break the deadlock over future customs arrangements. Both the Government and Opposition agree that we must have as close as possible to frictionless trade at the UK-EU border – protecting the jobs and livelihoods that are sustained by our existing trade with the EU.

But while we agree on the ends, we disagree on the means. The Government has already put forward a proposal which delivers the benefits of a customs union but with the ability for the UK to determine its own trade and development policy. The Opposition are both sceptical of our ability to negotiate that and don’t believe an independent trade policy is in the national interest. They would prefer a comprehensive customs union – with a UK say in EU trade policy but with the EU negotiating on our behalf.

As part of the cross-party discussions the government offered a compromise option of a temporary customs union on goods only, including a UK say in relevant EU trade policy, so that the next government can decide its preferred direction. But we were not able to reach agreement – so instead we will commit in law to let Parliament decide this issue, and to reflect the outcome of this process in legislation.

Continue reading “PM statement on new Brexit deal: 22 May 2019”
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Brexit Government Leaving EU Legislation

PM’s speech on new Brexit deal: 21 May 2019

Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a speech about the new Brexit deal on 21 May 2019.

Transcript:

I became Prime Minister almost three years ago – immediately after the British people voted to leave the European Union. My aim was – and is – to deliver Brexit and help our country move beyond the division of the referendum and into a better future. A country that works for everyone. Where everyone has the chance to get on in life and to go as far as their own talent and hard work can take them. That is a goal that I believe can still unite our country.

I knew that delivering Brexit was not going to be simple or straightforward. The result in 2016 was decisive, but it was close. The challenge of taking Brexit from the simplicity of the choice on the ballot paper to the complexity of resetting the country’s relationship with 27 of its nearest neighbours was always going to be huge.

While it has proved even harder than I anticipated, I continue to believe that the best way to make a success of Brexit is to negotiate a good exit deal with the EU as the basis of a new deep and special partnership for the future. That was my pitch to be leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister. That is what I set out in my Lancaster House speech and that was what my Party’s election manifesto said in 2017. That is in essence what the Labour Party’s election manifesto stated too. And over 80% of the electorate backed parties which stood to deliver Brexit by leaving with a deal.

Continue reading “PM’s speech on new Brexit deal: 21 May 2019”