Last week I spoke during the Second Reading of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal Bill), you can read my speech here, in which I:
- Explain why I voted for the Bill – I voted for the referendum to be held as I believe this was a decision that the British people should make. It would have been inconsistent for me to reject the result of that referendum.
- Make the case for the fullest possible involvement of Parliament in the Brexit negotiations.
- Argue that there must be a meaningful vote at the end of the Article 50 process. The European Parliament has a vote before the final deal is agreed, and so must our Parliament.
- Recognise the uncertainty of this process for UK citizens in the EU, and EU citizens in the UK. I call on the Government to find an early resolution to guarantee the rights of these people.
- Call for more clarity on the transition period after the deal so everybody can adjust to the new rules.
- Recognise the importance of the financial services sector to the UK and London economy.
I also previously called for the Government to publish a White Paper on their Brexit plans, so there can be more certainty and more scrutiny. I am pleased the Prime Minister published this before the Committee Stage of the Bill.
This week has been the Committee Stage of the Bill where amendments are considered. I have been working tirelessly behind the scenes with colleagues to press the Government to guarantee the rights of EU nationals, and to give Parliament a vote before any deal is agreed, and before the European Parliament votes.
Meaningful Vote
As I said in my speech, Parliament must have the fullest possible involvement throughout the Brexit process. The people voted to leave the EU, but gave us no instructions as to how to do it. The right place to determine this is in our sovereign Parliament, with MPs able to effectively represent their constituents. To do this, Parliament must vote before any deal is agreed, as is the case for the European Parliament. On Monday night I met with the Secretary of State for Leaving the EU to make this point once again.
I am pleased therefore that the Government has agreed with me and a number of my colleagues and have promised that Parliament will vote on both the withdrawal arrangements with the EU and the future relationship.
The Minister of State said; “first of all, we intend that the vote will cover not only the withdrawal arrangements but also the future relationship with the European Union. Furthermore, I can confirm that the Government will bring forward a motion on the final agreement, to be approved by both Houses of Parliament before it is concluded. We expect and intend that this will happen before the European Parliament debates and votes on the final agreement.”
Whilst this still leaves some issues about the circumstances of exit if no deal is achieved, this is a significant concession, as was recognised by the opposition.
Only New Clause 110 (NC110) was put for a vote on this issue, as NC99 was withdrawn. I listened carefully to former Attorney General, and remain campaigner, Dominic Grieve’s speech on NC110 and was persuaded that the Government should be trusted given the strength of the assurance. I was also convinced by the problems with NC110 that Dominic Grieve explained, such as that it misunderstands the negotiation process with the European institutions. On that basis, most of my colleagues and I decided to support the Government in recognition of the concession made.
EU Citizens
In my speech at the Bill’s Second Reading I highlighted the uncertainty faced by EU citizens in the UK and pressed the Government to guarantee their rights as soon as possible. I then met with the Home Secretary on Monday afternoon and made a number of suggestions as to how the Government could guarantee these rights.
The Home Secretary has now written to MPs, and I am glad she agreed with my suggestion that EU immigration law could, and would, become UK law post-Brexit in the Great Repeal Bill. This means that "nothing will change for any EU citizen, whether already resident in UK, or moving from the EU, without Parliament's approval". For that reason I am prepared to trust the Government on this and did not feel it was necessary to vote for any amendments. However, I am hopeful the Prime Minister will reach a specific deal with the EU 27 over the rights of EU citizens in the UK, and UK citizens in the EU.
I campaigned and voted to remain, but the reality is that from the moment the result was announced the United Kingdom was on a course to leave the European Union. Since then, I have been fighting to make the inevitable Brexit work as well as possible for the country, Wimbledon and London. This is what I will continue to do on behalf of my constituents.
As ever, I am always happy to hear from you on this or any other matter. Please feel free to write to me at the House of Commons, or email me on [email protected]