-
Calls for a series of indicative votes to offer the
House an opportunity to try and find an option supported by a
majority
-
MPs should also be able to vote on extending Article 50
if Parliament cannot reach agreement on a way forward before 29
March
Following the decision of the House overwhelmingly to reject the
Prime Minister’s deal, the Exiting the EU Committee is today
publishing an immediate report setting out recommendations to the
House about potential next steps.
The Government must table a motion by Monday 21 January at the
latest on what it proposes to do next.
The Committee Chair, MP, commented:
“The Prime Minister’s Withdrawal Agreement has been rejected
by the House of Commons, and we are just 72 days away from 29
March, when the UK is due to leave the European Union.
“The House of Commons needs to see if there is a consensus
for a different approach and holding a series of
indicative votes as soon as possible will help us to do
that.”
The options we have identified are:
1. To hold another vote on the draft
Withdrawal Agreement and Framework for the Future Relationship.
2. To leave the EU with no deal on 29
March with no agreement on future relations in place in and with
no transition/implementation period.
3. To call on the Government to seek to
re-negotiate the deal to achieve a specific outcome, be it a
variation of the terms of the separation set out in the
Withdrawal Agreement or providing clarity about the end state of
future relations as set out in the Political Declaration.
The main renegotiation possibilities would be:
- Seeking changes to the text in the Withdrawal Agreement on
the backstop arrangements
- Seeking a Canada-style deal;
- Seeking to join the EEA through the EFTA pillar and remaining
in a customs union with the EU or a variation on this.
4. In addition to these policy choices
about the UK’s future relationship, Parliament could decide to
hold a second referendum to allow the British people to decide
either which kind of Brexit deal they want or whether they wish
to remain in the EU.
Today’s short Report of 22 paragraphs sets out the broad options.
The Committee plans to expand on these in a more detailed report
in the coming weeks.
