Alexandra Runswick of Unlock Democracy on the abuse of statutory instruments; Paul Lally on the politically incoherent EU; Fawzi Ibrahim on the end of the phoney phase of negotiations; Roderick MacFarquhar on the absent text of the Brexit agreement; Bob Nicholson on the lost impact assessments; Louis Blom-Cooper on a moment referendumAs you report (May accepts demands for greater scrutiny of Brexit laws,12 December), the prime minister has agreed to set up a original “sifting” committee to identify whether changes made by the sweeping delegated legislation in the EU withdrawal bill require further scrutiny.
What may look like a concession on the surface is far from it. What is critically lost is reform of the woefully inadequate system for scrutinising statutory instruments. The amendments tabled by Charles Walker MP, and chair of the Commons procedure committee,set up a original sifting committee, but do nothing beyond that. This is also plainly just a temporary degree restricted to the withdrawal bill, or so what then of scrutiny of delegated legislation in the (at least) seven other Brexit bills,or in legislation beyond that?Continue reading...
Source: guardian.co.uk