I wanted to provide an update regarding the opposition day motion on Wednesday 12th June.
This motion would not stop No Deal, it purely sets aside another day for backbench business in July. No plan was given as to what this day would be used for, and no corresponding legislation has been published. I am not convinced this is necessary at this point and therefore feel this tactic is premature.
The real question that the House of Commons must resolve is what ‘No Deal’ is replaced with. This is because ‘No Deal’ is the legal default unless replaced by something else.
That is why I have both voted for the Withdrawal Agreement and was one of the few MPs who voted for a motion entitled “revocation instead of No Deal”.
The Speaker of the House of Commons has made it very clear that if the House of Commons wants to act to stop ‘No Deal’ it will be able to.
Unfortunately, the local Lib Dems are happy to misrepresent these votes. The truth is I remain committed to stopping ‘No Deal’ and do not rule out any options when it comes to this. If there is ever a need to vote on something that would actually stop No Deal, please be assured that I would do so, as I have demonstrated previously, for example in March even though I was a Minister.