Plaid Cymru: Immediate recall of parliaments needed to debate ‘no deal Brexit’

Adam Price AM & Liz Saville Roberts MP write to First Minister & Prime Minister calling for immediate recall of the Welsh & UK parliaments 

The leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price AM, and the party’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, have today written to First Minister Mark Drakeford and Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request an immediate recall of the Senedd and the Westminster parliament.

In their letter, Mr Price and Ms Saville Roberts said that the Prime Minister’s refusal to renegotiate a withdrawal deal unless the so-called backstop is removed, despite the EU having repeatedly said that the backstop is not up for negotiation, meant that a crash out Brexit on Hallowe’en was ‘increasingly likely’.

They wrote that a vote of no confidence in the UK government could be held, but warned that Mr Johnson could ignore such a vote. They said that such a scenario would be a ‘fundamental abuse of parliament: effectively a dictatorial seizure of power by the executive.’

Mr Price and Ms Saville Roberts also said that MPs who oppose Brexit could attempt to take control of the legislative process in order to stop a crash out Brexit, but that the practical difficulties of doing so, including a range of amendments and possible filibustering by Brexiteers, would be ‘formidable’.

In any case, they said, both the Senedd and the House of Commons should be immediately be recalled so that members of both parliaments can ‘properly reflect the democratic will of its members in deciding whether the UK should leave without a deal on 31 October.’

In their letter, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price AM and Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts MP said: 

“There is a growing likelihood that the UK will leave the EU without a deal on 31 October. If that were to happen there would be serious adverse consequences for Welsh jobs and the economy more widely, especially for our manufacturing industry and for our farmers. There would also be the threat of food and medicine shortages, and disruption at our ports.

“Nevertheless, evidence of a no deal Brexit on 31 October, a matter of weeks away, is growing by the day. Since his election as leader of the Conservative Party and subsequent appointment as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has made it clear that he is unprepared to negotiate a new deal with the other 27 member states of the EU unless what he terms the ‘undemocratic’ Irish backstop, included in his predecessor’s deal at her request and for which Mr Johnson himself voted in the House of Commons, has been removed.

“Equally, the EU negotiators have repeatedly said that the backstop is not up for negotiation. This, of course, is the mechanism that would keep the UK inside the EU customs union in order to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.

“It is imperative that the Westminster Parliament be recalled before 3 September to give it the opportunity to properly reflect the democratic will of its members in deciding whether the UK should leave without a deal on 31 October.

“In turn, it is imperative that the democratic will of the people of Wales, as represented by the Senedd, be given an opportunity to express itself before September.

“That is why we are writing to you to ask you to join with us in calling for an immediate recall of the Senedd, to debate what is undoubtedly the greatest peacetime crisis that Wales and the UK have faced in modern times.”

ENDS

NOTES

Process for recalling the House of Commons

When the House is not sitting, for example at the weekend, or during a recess, the Government can ask the Speaker to recall the House of Commons because of events of major national importance. When the Speaker of the House of Commons receives a request from the Government to recall the House of Commons, he must decide whether it is in the public interest to agree to that request. If the Speaker agrees to the request, he will then decide what day or days the House should sit during the recall. The Speaker cannot decide to recall the House of Commons without being asked to do so by the Government.

Members of Parliament are currently scheduled to return from summer recess on Tuesday 3 September 2019.

Process for recalling the National Assembly for Wales

The Standing Orders are silent on the process for recalling the National Assembly for Wales. There is precedent, however, for the First Minister to make a request to the Llywydd to recall the National Assembly when it is in recess: recall by the Presiding Officer at the First Minister’s request to debate council tax regulations (December 2012); recall by the Presiding Officer at the First Minister’s request to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (April 2002). In April 2019, the First Minister wrote to the Llywydd to warn that a recall may have been necessary should an extension to the Article 50 process have not been granted, meaning the UK would have left the EU without a deal.

Assembly Members are currently scheduled to return from summer recess on Monday 16 September 2019.

Text of letter to the First Minister

Dear First Minister,

We are writing to ask if you will join with us in calling for an immediate recall of both the Senedd and the Parliament at Westminster to address the immediacy of the Brexit crisis.

There is a growing likelihood that the UK will leave the EU without a deal on 31 October. If that were to happen there would be serious adverse consequences for Welsh jobs and the economy more widely, especially for our manufacturing industry and for our farmers. There would also be the threat of food and medicine shortages, and disruption at our ports.

Nevertheless, evidence of a no deal Brexit on 31 October, a matter of weeks away, is growing by the day. Since his election as leader of the Conservative Party and subsequent appointment as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has made it clear that he is unprepared to negotiate a new deal with the other 27 member states of the EU unless what he terms the ‘undemocratic’ Irish backstop, included in his predecessor’s deal at her request and for which Mr Johnson himself voted in the House of Commons, has been removed.

Equally, the EU negotiators have repeatedly said that the backstop is not up for negotiation. This, of course, is the mechanism that would keep the UK inside the EU customs union in order to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.

In reports last week (Guardian, 6 August) it was evident that British representatives in Brussels have no intention of compromising on this central question:

“Diplomats in Brussels briefed after a meeting between the Prime Minister’s chief envoy and senior EU figures, said that Britain’s refusal to compromise was understood to have been clear to those attending. David Frost, the government’s new chief adviser on Europe, is said to have sought discussions on how negotiations could be reset after the UK crashes out on 31 October. ‘It was clear the UK does not have another plan,’ a senior EU diplomat said of the meetings with Frost… ‘A no deal now appears to be the UK government’s central scenario.’”

Following the summer recess, the Westminster Parliament is due to re-convene on 3 September, just eight weeks before 31 October. As far as we see, there are now two possible scenarios:

Firstly, it is likely that Jeremy Corbyn will call for a motion of no confidence in the government in order to stop a no deal Brexit.

Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s special adviser, was quoted in the Sunday Telegraph at the weekend saying that the Prime Minister can decide the timing of such an election, and will ensure it takes place after 31 October, by which time the UK will have left the EU.

There also remains the possibility that the Prime Minister might attempt to ride roughshod over democracy by ignoring such a vote, choosing instead to remain in Number 10. That would be a fundamental abuse of parliament: effectively a dictatorial seizure of power by the executive.

Secondly, MPs who oppose Brexit altogether might attempt to take control of the legislative process in order to prevent a no deal Brexit.

This scenario is possible but the practical difficulties are formidable. Backbenchers would have to steer the legislation through all its stages in the House of Commons and deal with a host of amendments in committee together with filibustering by Brexiteers. Again this would threaten to take the opportunity to halt a no deal Brexit beyond 31 October.

In these circumstances it is imperative that the Westminster Parliament be recalled before 3 September to give it the opportunity to properly reflect the democratic will of its members in deciding whether the UK should leave without a deal on 31 October.

In turn, it is imperative that the democratic will of the people of Wales, as represented by the Senedd, be given an opportunity to express itself before September.

That is why we are writing to you to ask you to join with us in calling for an immediate recall of the Senedd, to debate what is undoubtedly the greatest peacetime crisis that Wales and the UK have faced in modern times.

A copy of this letter is being sent to the Prime Minister as requesting a recall of the Westminster Parliament of Mr Speaker is within the power of his office.

Yours sincerely,

Adam Price AM

Leader, Plaid Cymru

The Rt. Hon. Liz Saville Roberts MP

Westminster Leader, Plaid Cymru

Text of letter to the Prime Minister

Dear Prime Minister,

We are enclosing a copy of a letter we have sent today to the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford AM.

In it, we are calling for an immediate recall of the National Assembly for Wales so that Assembly Members might exercise their right to express their opinion as representatives of the people of Wales and to debate the urgent question of the prospect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on 31 October.

You will see that we are also calling for an immediate recall of the British Parliament so that MPs might debate the same matter. We are forwarding this letter to you since requesting a recall of Parliament from Mr Speaker falls within the power of your office.

Yours sincerely,

Adam Price AM

Leader, Plaid Cymru

The Rt. Hon. Liz Saville Roberts MP

Westminster Leader, Plaid Cymru