I am very pleased to see that the Government has agreed to publish their plan for leaving the EU before Article 50 is triggered.
I made this point in the Evening Standard yesterday morning, saying “I would hope that the Government would use this opportunity to set out before the Commons its high-level plans. No one is expecting the Government to lay out the detailed strategy or negotiating position. But the Commons needs to have a discussion on the direction of policy.”
The public and MPs must be able to hold the Government fully to account over its Brexit negotiations; the most complex process undertaken by the British Government in a generation. This, as the House of Lords EU Committee suggested, will also help us work towards a national consensus on the direction of Brexit and unite our country after a divisive referendum.
Ultimately this will help the United Kingdom secure the best outcome possible, by giving the Government a stronger mandate and clearer position when negotiating with the EU27.