Brexit Bill voted through unchanged
All amendments failed, including one guaranteeing the residence rights of EU citizens in the UK
British MPs have voted by a large majority to give the Prime Minister power to trigger Brexit, voting down opportunitieso add caveats to the two-paragraph bill such as ones protecting rights of expats in the UK.
The Brexit Bill, having passed its third Commons reading by 494 to 122, now passes on to the House of Lords – with the BBC reporting threats from a ‘government source’ that they will “face an overwhelming public call to be abolished if they now try and frustrate this bill”.
Fifty-two Labour MPs (out of 229) went against leader Jeremy Corbyn’s instruction to vote for the bill, along with one Conservative (Ken Clarke), 52 out of 54 SNP MPs (two could not vote for technical reasons), seven out of nine Lib Dems (two abstained), Caroline Lucas of the Green Party, Welsh and Irish nationalists and three of the four independent MPs.
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn came in for mockery on social media after tweeting that “the real fight starts now”, with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon leading off with the comment: “How? You’ve just handed the Tories a blank cheque. You didn’t win a single concession but still voted for the bill. Pathetic.”
An amendment offering a unilateral guarantee that EU citizens could remain in the UK after Brexit, failed after Conservative rebels backed down on being told that “nothing will change” for them without MPs’ consent. Just three Conservatives sided with the Opposition over the amendment, which was defeated 332 to 290, a majority of 42.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said in a letter that the matter would have to wait for the Brexit negotiations, but ultimately it would be dealt with via an Immigration Bill.
The government has also so far given no reassurance on matters that are in its own control, such as whether to continue annual increases to state pensions of Britons in the EU or to continue to fund their healthcare or ‘exportable’ disability benefits.
Brexit Minister David Davis called the vote “historic” and said: “The decision on EU membership has been made by the people we serve. It is now time for everyone, whichever way they voted in the referendum, to unite to make a success of the important task at hand for our country.”
The government has confirmed that the final ‘article 50’ deal it negotiates with the other EU27 states will be presented to parliament before it is concluded, however Mrs May has said it will be ‘take it or leave it’, meaning the UK coming out with no deal at all if parliament refuses to OK the plan.
The bill will now be debated in the House of Lords on February 20-21 and then on February 27 – March 1. If the Lords make amendments, the bill will pass back to MPs.
The Evening Standard has a full list of those who voted for and against the bill http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/brexit-bill-find-out-how-your-mp-voted-on-approving-the-bill-to-start-the-eu-withdrawal-process-a3462121.html
