The Government have published the European Union (Notification of withdrawal) Bill, which you can see above, and it will have its First Reading today. The full timetable for the Bill passing through the Commons, before going to the Lords, is as follows:
European Union (Notification of withdrawal) Bill
First reading: 26 January
Second reading:
Day 1 - Tuesday, 31 January
Day 2 - Wednesday, 1 February
Committee stage:
Day 1 - Monday, 6 February
Day 2 - Tuesday, 7 February
Day 3 - Wednesday, 8 February
Report stage and third reading: Wednesday, 8 February.
Keep track of the Bill's progress here: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/europeanunionnotificationofwithdrawal.html
This week’s judgement by the Supreme Court on the need for a Parliamentary vote to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to start the process of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU should come as no surprise. The decision of the High Court seemed sound enough even if at the time it did appear to threaten the timetable for negotiations to begin. When the UK joined the then EEC back in 1973 it was after a parliamentary vote to pass the 1972 European Communities Act so it is only reasonable that it should be a Parliamentary vote to start the process to take us out. That has been my position all along and why I have written in my blogs that I am quite relaxed about the way the process is progressing.
The Supreme Court helpfully ruled that the devolved administrations, such as the Scottish Parliament, could not have a role in blocking the Article 50 process so now all it takes will be a vote in the House of Commons followed by the Lords and it is likely that there will be sufficient support in each House to put the Bill into law in tie to achieve the end of March deadline. After that we will have up to 2 years to negotiate our terms of departure with our EU partners.
Also helpfully last week the Prime Minister published a great deal of detail about the principles on which the Government will be approaching the negotiations. I have added a summary of those points on my website and I will also add a link to the White Paper fleshing this out when it is published imminently. Clearly, there are some who say that they will be tabling many amendments the purpose of which can only be to undermine the whole withdrawal process and force a second referendum, despite the British people giving a clear instruction to leave the EU on June 23rd in the highest turnout for a national election since 1992. Their approach is a disingenuous one and by any measure, given that a clear majority of 408 Parliamentary constituencies voted to Leave (including East Worthing & Shoreham) against 242 to Remain, MPs should be duty bound now to enact the will of the people. That is why I have undertaken to vote unconditionally for this Bill which will trigger the Article 50 process and will support the Government in its challenging negotiations in the months ahead.