Labour, Liberal, Green and SNP MPs were overjoyed, they cheered and they clapped – very much against Parliamentary convention but their joy was overwhelming. I am afraid with the help of 11 of my colleagues the Government was defeated for the first time on the EU Withdrawal Bill. We were defeated by just 4 votes on Amendment 7.
However this defeat does not halt Brexit. It does not change the date of Brexit. It does not provide a means by which MPs can reject any final deal that the Government and the EU agree. It will not force the PM to keep returning cap in hand to the EU.
The passing of Amendment 7 will prevent the Government preparing Statutory Instruments (SI’s) to change our laws and institutions until the very end of the process. As we don’t yet know how many SI’s the Government will need to bring forward it isn’t possible to know what the exact effect will be. Realistically it will have little difference, though it will make the process far more rushed at the very end.
So if it doesn’t change much, why all the fuss? Why are so many people frustrated, myself included?
The fact is that despite the public voting for Brexit, and despite most people now just wishing us to get on with it, there are still MPs who hope that Brexit will fail. Unbelievably these are the same MPs who voted for the Referendum in the first place!
To be fair; Liberal, Green and SNP MPs at the General Election were open and honest that they would not respect the Referendum. In their election leaflets, in their manifestos, in all of their media work they are very clear that the public didn’t know best and it was their judgement Brexit should be cancelled. I disagree, I disagree strongly but I respect that they were elected with this clear intention. They can enjoy their win in Parliament this week - they fought for it.
However my frustration is aimed at the Labour Party and my 11 colleagues.
Firstly Labour. Unlike the Liberals, Green and SNP MPs, they actually fought the recent General Election on a Brexit ticket. This wasn’t ideologically driven, this wasn’t out of respect for the Referendum; this was driven simply to protect their core vote. Particularly in the Northern heartlands where Brexit support was at its strongest. However back in Parliament their metropolitan elite MPs hate Brexit. They speak with real venom about Brexit, they refuse to believe that voters could ever know better and they have voted against every part of the EU Withdrawal Bill. Yet they still refuse to come clean. They have had 12 different public positions on Brexit, each contradictory, with the aim of trying to play both sides of the debate. The public won’t be fooled.
My 11 colleagues should have known better. They understood the amendment itself wasn’t significant, but they have allowed the opposition to undermine the Government and the PM.
There are further votes next week; more late nights and more close votes but we will deliver on the will of the British people. Whether you voted for Brexit or not, the result needs to be respected and we need to get on with securing the best possible deal for every single person in this country. We will not allow this defeat to weaken our negotiating hand and we won’t allow it to put the best deal possible at risk.
