Labour leads cross-party vote to prevent no deal
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· Labour tables
cross-party motion that would hand control of the parliamentary
agenda to MPs on Tuesday 25 June 2019
· If the motion passes,
MPs will have the chance to introduce measures, including
legislation, that could help avoid a no deal Brexit at the end of
October · It would
prevent a future Prime Minister...Request free trial
Labour and a cross-party alliance will tomorrow (Wednesday 12 June 2019) force a Commons vote to allow MPs to seize control of the parliamentary agenda and introduce legislation to prevent the next Tory Prime Minister pursuing a no deal Brexit later this year.
The motion will allow MPs to take control of the House of Commons agenda on Tuesday 25 June. MPs will then have the chance to introduce legislation that could help avoid the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal.
The motion will use the same procedure that was used earlier this year to block a no deal Brexit in March. Unlike typical opposition day debates, the motion, if passed, will be binding.
The intervention comes as a no deal Brexit has become the key dividing line in the Tory leadership contest.
Several of the leading candidates have advocated a no deal Brexit on 31 October. However, senior Cabinet ministers – including the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Work and Pensions Secretary – have opposed a no deal being implemented without the consent of Parliament.
Keir Starmer MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, said:
“The debate on Brexit in the Tory leadership contest has descended into the disturbing, the ludicrous and the reckless.
“None of the likely candidates for the top job has a credible plan for how to break the deadlock before the end of October. Instead, we have witnessed candidates openly advocating a damaging no deal Brexit and even proposing dragging the Queen into politics by asking her to shut down Parliament to achieve this.
“MPs cannot be bystanders while the next Tory Prime Minister tries to crash the UK out of the European Union without a deal and without the consent of the British people. That’s why we are taking this latest measure to end the uncertainty and protect communities across the country.
“My challenge to MPs who disagree either with a no deal Brexit or proroguing Parliament is to back this motion and act in the national interest.”
Ends
Notes to editors
Sir Vince Cable Mr Nicolas Brown
Business of the House Motion (United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union)
(1)That, on Tuesday 25 June –
(a) Standing Order No. 14(1) (which provides that government business shall have precedence at every sitting save as provided in that order) shall not apply;
(b) precedence shall be given to a motion relating to the Business of the House in connection with matters relating to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union;
(c) if more than one motion relating to the Business of the House is tabled, the Speaker shall decide which motion shall have precedence;
(d) the Speaker shall interrupt proceedings on any business having precedence before the Business of the House motion at 1.00 pm and call a Member to move that motion;
(e) debate on that motion may continue until 2.00 pm at which time the Speaker shall put the questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on that motion including the questions on amendments selected by the Speaker which may then be moved;
(f) any proceedings interrupted or superseded by this order may be resumed or (as the case may be) entered upon and proceeded with after the moment of interruption.
Theresa May: “Unless this House agrees to it, no deal will not happen.” 25 March 2019
Philip Hammond: “This is a parliamentary democracy. A prime minister who ignores parliament cannot expect to survive very long.” 26 May 2019
David Gauke: “We have to be responsible [on a no deal Brexit]. We have to understand the impact on the economy… we have to understand the parliamentary arithmetic.” 28 May 2019
Matt Hancock: “No deal Brexit is not an available choice to the next prime Minister. Parliament will never allow it to happen, as we saw in March.” 2 June 2019
Amber Rudd: “Members of Parliament will find a way to stop no deal and I think that any aspiring leader needs to factor that in.” 10 June 2019
This is the next step in Parliament preventing no deal. It puts in place a process to legislate against a new Tory Prime Minister pursuing a no deal Brexit on 31 October. It would put power back in the hands of Parliament and prevent it being sidelined on this vital issue.
We have had to act today because of the alarming and reckless rhetoric of a number of Tory leadership candidates, who seem to think that ignoring Parliament and driving through no deal is a viable option. It is not.
This will ensure that this process is in place before the end of the Tory leadership contest, and before the summer recess.
No, it provides the first step in the process that can help
provide a legislative lock against no deal on 31 October. The
motion today gains control of the Commons Order Paper on 25 June
and gives priority to a debate on that day on legislation
relating to Brexit. On that date, Parliament can then specify a
future date to give consideration to legislation to help prevent
no deal on 31 October. This is similar to the process Parliament
used prior to the 29 March deadline. |