The British government has pushed the second reading of the EU Withdrawal Bill through parliament, but there are worries it has made a power grab over Committees' ability to amend the law.
ADVERTISEMENTWhat next for the Brexit process in Britain? The government’s EU Withdrawal Bill passed its first hurdle with barely a murmur of rebellion. Now parliamentary committees are supposed to improve it.
But many fear the government bill has pre-empted the committees’ powers.
“Whether you support or oppose leaving the EU, this is a bill people should support because it provides us with continuity and stability and the best chance of getting a good deal through this process,” said Conservative MP
Robin Walker.
“This is garbage. This bill has elements we need for Brexit, repealing the 1972 act and assimilating our EU laws into UK law. As far as that goes, we are with the government. Why do they need to include the ability for ministers to change primary legislation, to change any law they don`t like the look of with no justification? We don’t need that for Brexit,” says Labour’s Shadow Brexit Minister Jenny Chapman.
The opposition is angry because the law says a minority government should be in a minority in committees, and those who did not rebel, waiting for their chance to fight on committee, may now not be able to.
“They are laying down a pretty controversial motion, that says that we are going to essentially give ourselves a majority in those committees to allow things to happen, and they’re probably going to win, because, as I said, they have a de facto majority in the main House of Commons chamber thanks to the DUP, so as long as the DUP support them they will be able to change the rules in order to give themselves a majority,” says the Political Editor of ‘The Guardian’, Anushka Asthana.
Taking back control, it seems to some, is overreaching in parliament and straining democracy. Another reason to protest for the now daily crowds outside Westminster Palace.