| Topic: | Did you vote for this? | |
| Posted by: | Huw Burford-Taylor | |
| Date/Time: | 11/09/17 17:09:00 |
| Here goes: why the Withdrawal Bill is a botched Bill, and why MPs should vote against it on second reading. But first: the Bill is not about supporting or stopping Brexit - contrary to the statements of Field, Flint, etc. Like winter, Brexit is coming. The Article 50 notification has been made. UK is out on 29 March 2019 (or possibly a later agreed date). Nothing in this Bill affects the Article 50 notification. The will of the people has been expressed. Statements like Field's thereby make no sense. That decision has been made. The Bill is about how the UK government gets to that outcome. Means not end. Journey not destination. The Bill proposes three powers, the widest in modern constitutional history, to allow the government to legislate directly. In effect, minister will be able to make, amend, and repeal law, by fiat. To be mini-legislatures. Clause 7(4): "Regulations under this section may make any provision that could be made by an Act of Parliament" Clause 8(2): "Regulations under this section may make any provision that could be made by an Act of Parliament" And Clause 9(2) is a beauty in how it goes even further than the last two quoted clauses. "Regulations under this section may make any provision that could be made by an Act of Parliament (including modifying this Act)." Let that sink in: "including modifying this Act". Think about the implication of that. And what is "any provision that could be made by an Act of Parliament"? Like power of Green Lantern's ring, anything you can imagine. "any provision that could be made by an Act of Parliament" can mean: repealing and amending Acts, abolishing laws, rights, entitlements. These three powers are considerable legal super-weapons. Ministers become their own parliaments, law making and changing as they wish. Yes the Bill offers some protections, and limitations, and time limits. But weak stuff against the legal super-powers created. Article 50 has gone. Voting on today's Bill cannot stop that. Field and others explanations don't add up. Today's Bill is about handing almost the entire legislative power of Westminster over to Whitehall, under the guise of Brexit. The government does not need this near-absolute power of law-making for Brexit. It does not need to usurp parliament. And that is why MPs should vote so to tell government to think again on this anti-parliamentary Bill, while there is still time." Above taken from David Allen Green's twitter feed. Now, you might think this is all fine and dandy "ends justify the means" and all that, but if you're a Labour voter then the thought of the Conservatives having this sort of power should be anathema to you, if you're a Conservative then bear in mind all it takes are 5 conservative rebels to bring the government down and then the likelihood at the moment is that you'd be looking at best at a Labour led coalition with these powers, or a Labour majority government led by Corbyn & McDonnell wielding these instruments. If you voted leave did you vote for this? It's Parliament that's supposed to be sovereign, elected government's are supposed to be held to account. This is all about to be voted away. "Taking back control." |