Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

UK's Brexit Secretary David Davis PA Images
Crunch time

'Take it or leave it': MPs will get a chance to turn down Brexit deal

Brexit secretary David Davis said: “This agreement will only hold if parliament approves it.”

THE UK’S BREXIT Secretary has told MPs that they will be given a take-it-or-leave-it vote on the final Brexit deal before it leaves the EU.

David Davis said that the terms the UK agrees with the EU, such as the new citizen rights, trade deals and financial arrangements must become law, giving MPs a chance to vote on it.

While it will not mean that Brexit could be stopped, it will mean that Britain could leave the EU without a deal.

Davis said: “It is clear that we need to take further steps to provide clarity and certainty both in the negotiations and at home regarding the implementation of any agreement into United Kingdom law.

This agreement will only hold if parliament approves it.

Labour, and some Conservatives, were critical of this stance and said that it would give parliament no chance to have its say if the UK’s negotiators are unable to reach any deal with the EU at all.

Labour’s Keir Starmer accused the UK government of a “last-minute climb down”, after it had repeatedly called for voting on a Brexit deal in the House of Commons.

The Conservatives made the concession after facing into a defeat in the House on an amendment calling for a vote on the final deal.

“With less than 24 hours before they had to defend their flawed Bill to Parliament, they have finally backed down,” Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary Starmer said.

Conservative Dominic Grieve said that negotiations with the EU should be extended if a deal can’t be found and that parliamentarians should have a say before the date that the UK is due to leave the EU in 2018.

Last week, the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said he is making contingency plans for the “possible” failure of Brexit talks.

“It’s not my (preferred) option,” he told French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD). “But it’s a possibility. Everyone needs to plan for it, member states and businesses alike. We too are preparing for it technically.”

On Friday, Barnier gave Britain a two-week ultimatum to make concessions on a divorce agreement if it wants to unlock the next phase of talks in December.

With reporting from AFP

Read: Coveney hits out at ‘nonsense’ Sun story about Northern Irish border

Read: Leo Varadkar promises to cut taxes for middle income earners and bring in paid family parental leave

Your Voice
Readers Comments
40
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

    Leave a commentcancel