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, 7 tweets, 2 min read
If you’re wondering whether the time being made available for Parliamentary scrutiny the Withdrawal Agreement Bill is adequate - a comparison with the recent Agriculture Bill /1
Both Bills will establish the future of UK farming, for better or worse, for decades to come. Making sure they are right is a critical responsibility for anyone who cares about our food, farming, welfare standards and natural environment /2
Agriculture Bill – 36 clauses over 25 pages, plus an additional 5 schedules over 31 pages – most of which replicate the main clauses in the Bill to apply to Wales and NI

EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill – 40 clauses over 40 pages, plus an additional 6 schedules over 70 pages /3
The Agriculture Bill had its Second Reading (almost 6 hours of debate) on 10th October 2018/

It then went through 14 separate sessions in Committee between 23rd October and 20th November 2019. Each session tends to last between 2 and 3 hours. 4/
Unfortunately the Bill never returned for Report Stage. It hadn’t even got half way through its passage, but had already had around 40 hours of debate 5/
Furthermore, the debates and line-by-line scrutiny happened over more than a month - this is important as that time allows experts and stakeholders outside Parliament to provide comment and oversight of the Bill to Parliamentarians to assist their deliberations). 6/
How does this compare to the programme motion on the WAB, which will be voted on tonight? Lets just say its a lot, lot shorter!

instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/governmen…
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Nick von Westenholz
@nvonwestenholz
Seems like an error that UK government continues to ring-fence its trade policy re. the EU (DExEU and central govt) with its trade policy for the rest of the world (DiT). Wouldn't a more strategic approach be better? 1/
Put the passion and politics of Brexit to one side. If a country the size of the UK was considering its trading priorities on the basis of a clean slate, then a trade deal with an economy of 450m people on its doorstep should very, very clearly be the priority. 2/
Of course, looking at improving trade links with countries across the world – including NZ, Aus and US (as well as e.g. Japan, China) should be an aspiration. But the idea that we should prioritise those while being satisfied with trading with the EU on WTO terms is silly. 3/
Read 5 tweets
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Nick von Westenholz
@nvonwestenholz
In 2016, Boris Johnson spoke in typically persuasive fashion about Brexit at a rally in Dartford, arguing that, if we leave the EU, trade in food products between the EU and UK would continue to flow freely. See here around 11 mins:
He said, “All those who say that there would be barriers to trade with Europe …do you seriously believe that they would put up tariffs against UK produce of any kind when they know how much they want to sell us their cake, their champagne, their cheese…” 2/
Unfortunately, this is in fact what will happen in a no-deal Brexit. The EU has confirmed it will charge tariffs on all UK produce going to the EU. nfuonline.com/news/latest-ne… 3/
Read 6 tweets
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Nick von Westenholz
@nvonwestenholz
1/ Only just got round to reading last week’s @spectator editorial on Trump's visit and post-Brexit trade opportunities. We need better than this if we’re to have an informed debate about our optimum trade relationships with the EU and US post-Brexit

spectator.co.uk/2019/06/playin…
2/ This extract is an irritating straw man that advocates of quick and dirty trade deals keep making – that “chlorinated chicken” issue is all about the safety of chlorine. It isn’t.
3/ Firstly it’s primarily about the safety of the chicken, not chlorine – has the treatment (chlorine or otherwise) eliminated the presence of otherwise harmful pathogens. By the way. there is some recent research that suggests not:
theguardian.com/world/2018/may…
Read 12 tweets

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Michael Dougan
@mdouganlpool
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!
Read 15 tweets
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Steve Peers
@StevePeers
It's finally arrived!

The ugliest baby ever: the EU withdrawal agreement bill.
services.parliament.uk/Bills/2019-20/…
First thoughts...
The bill runs to 115 pages, with 40 clauses and six schedules. It includes parts on citizens rights, the transition period, and Northern Ireland.
First: the bill switches off both the specific rules for approval of the withdrawal agreement in the EU Withdrawal Act, and the general rules for approval of international treaties in CRAGA.

Tl;dr: as soon as the bill is passed, the govt can ratify the withdrawal agreement.
Read 26 tweets
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David Henig
@DavidHenigUK
😀in response to the prorogue parliament today rumours
If true, is this terribly clever? Rebels meet at Chruch House during prorogue creating regular media story, then amendment to Queens Speech creates chance to vote against the Government without having to no-confidence... then convention says Gov falls...?
Apparently the convention on Queens Speech amendment may no longer hold. But the broader point does. The Government, having failed to persuade Labour to table a no-confidence vote in Sept so an election could be called for Nov 1, just called its own no-confidence vote in October.
Read 39 tweets
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Christophe Barraud🛢
@C_Barraud
🇺🇸 🇨🇳 *U.S. WAITING TO HEAR FROM #CHINA ON TRADE DEAL, KUDLOW SAYS - BBG
*KUDLOW EXPECTS U.S.-CHINA MEETING IN MARCH IN MAR-A-LAGO
*TRUMP, LIGHTHIZER ARE VERY CLOSE, KUDLOW TELLS CNBC
🇺🇸 🇨🇳 #CHINA WOULD HAVE TO NOTE ANY FX INTERVENTION UNDER DEAL: KUDLOW - BBG
🇺🇸 🇨🇳 *MNUCHIN SAYS #CHINA #TRADE TALKS INCLUDE 150-PAGE DOCUMENT - BBG
Read 819 tweets
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Christophe Barraud🛢
@C_Barraud
🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇨🇳 🇮🇷 #Canada arrests #Huawei’s global chief financial officer in Vancouver – The Globe and Mail
theglobeandmail.com/canada/article…
A gauge of #technology shares on the MSCI #Asia Pacific Index slid as much as 3 percent before paring some losses - Bloomberg
🇺🇸 #SPX ⬇ as much as 1.9% from Tuesday’s close, before paring some losses. Selling pressure early in the session was so intense that it forced CME Group to intermittently pause trading, according to a spokesperson for the exchange - Bloomberg
*Link: bloom.bg/2BTw5DN
Read 736 tweets
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Doc Lawtist #FBPE #WATON
@doclaw13
1. The EU (Withdrawal) Bill the most important bill Parliament has deliberated for decades; its a constitutional and legal minefield. At present, my job is to amend several modules on an LLB Law course to prepare for Brexit. This thread highlights some issues.

#FBPE #WATON #ABTV
2. The EUW Bill does 3 things: repeals the ECA 1972; turns existing EU law into UK law; and gives govt Ministers the power to amend, discard and replace 'retained EU law' (EU laws converted into domestic law by the Bill). The latter equates to unprecedented Executive power.
3. The Bill's crucial for Brexit to happen, not least because the ECA 1972 has acted as a conduit for EU laws to be enshrined in domestic law for over 40 years. We've not the time to replace them with new legislation between now & March; a cut-and-paste approach has been adopted.
Read 16 tweets

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