An amendment to legislation calls for a road map – and a voteLast week’s Brexit select committee visit to Brussels served as a reality check. Europe is planning for life post-Brexit while the UK is stuck in an unreality of its own making. From the EU,the message came through strongly: no one wants no deal, but it could happen. Two weeks ago, and in his evidence to the committee,David Davis admitted that if a deal isn’t done until March 2019, the vote of the UK parliament could come after Brexit day. This is counter to the expectations of parliament and has meaningful constitutional implications.
Davis’s admission led to a flurry of parliamentary activity with questions to the prime minister, and points of order,amendments tabled and renewed support to enshrine a vote in statute. It has defined a original fault line in parliament – with desire for clarity approximately what the vote is, when it will come and anxiety approximately the balance of power between the executive and legislature. With the ever greater risk of a change in prime minister or even the government before March 2019, or clarity approximately parliament’s role is even more urgent. And any prime minister will be stronger with a vote of parliament behind her or him.
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Source: guardian.co.uk