Ludicrous that HMG expects Parliament to approve revised withdrawal package & adopt such complex legislation in such short time: mockery of democratic accountability. My first read through Withdrawal Agreement Bill + here are a few comments / queries to assist with its scrutiny:
Certainly not purporting to be comprehensive / definitive! After all, doing this sort of job properly would normally take several days of intensive work just to become familiar with scheme and details of proposed legislation. But even a rough start is better than nothing, so…
1) Bill largely provides for necessary domestic implementation of revised Withdrawal Agreement. So if you support Agreement, you’ll not mind those parts of Bill. But if you oppose Agreement (divorce payments, NI Protocol etc) you’ll obviously oppose those parts of Bill too!
2) for purposes of implementing Agreement, Bill confers far-reaching delegated powers on Government (including to amend primary legislation). As with previous Brexit Bills, one would normally expect close Parliamentary scrutiny over precise scope / nature / control of such powers
3) especially since some of those delegated powers (particularly relating to EU citizens rights) have potential to affect individuals with truly fundamental consequences (amenability to deportation, access to judicial protection): deserve to be properly checked & double checked!
4) similarly: Bill contains extensive provisions affecting Scotland, Wales and NI. Again: as with previous Brexit Bills, one would normally expect careful devolved scrutiny of and consent for such incursions into devolved interests / competences
5) besides those general points, more specific questions. Eg what is purpose of Cl29 on review of/objection to new EU rules during transition? After all: EU specifically rejected UK requests for “emergency brake”; UK must respect new EU rules or will breach Withdrawal Agreement
6) Eg would Cl30 reserve to Government alone the initiative / power to request an extension to the transitional period, as and when it becomes clear (and it will...) that by Dec 2020, there is no future relationship done & dusted, with only other alternative then being no deal?
7) Eg does Cl31 somehow seek to place statutory limit on freedom to seek / negotiate a closer future relationship between EU and UK than the (very distant, “diverge and deregulate”) model now contemplated in Johnson’s revised Political Declaration?
8) Eg Cls32&33 repeal / disapply current Parliamentary means of scrutinising Johnson’s revised Withdrawal Agreement / Political Declaration (including another “meaningful vote” under 2018 Withdrawal Act)… would this materially reduce scope for democratic scrutiny and control?
9) Bill contains specific provisions for controlling certain powers of Joint Committee, eg future abolition of Citizens Rights authority. But needs careful / detailed check, to ensure Bill offers proper domestic scrutiny over full range of JC powers under Withdrawal Agreement…
10) In any case, Schedule 4 confirms (as if it were needed) that promised “safety lock” for UK workers rights simply isn’t worth paper it’s written on: future Gov with Commons majority can basically act as it pleases regardless of non-regression / promises to track EU standards
Lots of questions... So really is shocking that HMG is trying to force its deal as well as such complex / sensitive legislation through Parliament in matter of few days, shutting down essential scrutiny and debate. Taking Back Control? More than ever, just sounds like a bad joke
PS: also laughable that UK continues to insist on calling “transition period” an “implementation period”: there is zero to implement! May already sounded foolish / duplicitous when she started this back in 2017. But to carry on with pretence even in 2019 is actually very… 1984?
But enough Orwellian torture for one night: I have a full day of meetings starting in a few hours' time, then I'm playing Mozart's sublime Dissonance Quartet in Liverpool in the evening.
Hope you find the thread useful. Oi, Brexit loopers: I'll just block you some other time...
Hope you find the thread useful. Oi, Brexit loopers: I'll just block you some other time...
