THE SNP have called for the result of June’s referendum vote to be scrapped if Parliament fails to back the Brexit deal the Prime Minister brings back from Brussels.
The “reset” motion is one of 50 amendments tabled by the party for this week’s Westminster debate on Article 50.
If passed, Theresa May would be unable to to trigger Article 50, the formal process for leaving the EU, until she had secured a promise from the European Council to keep “the UK in the EU on existing terms” if parliament fails to agree the terms of Brexit.
Other amendments ask for the Prime Minister to meet with the leaders of the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to “discuss the formal notification process of Article 50 and that the joint Ministerial Committee unanimously agrees to the process being invoked,” and that the government to not trigger Article 50 until they promise to seek “a differentiated agreement for Scotland to remain in the European Economic Area” as proposed by the Scottish Government.
One amendment would mean Article 50 should not be triggered until Chancellor Philip Hammond publishes an “assessment of the financial liability of the UK towards the EU on the completion of the Article 50”. Recent reports have suggested the Treasury might have to cough up £50 billion to cover Britain’s share of budget appropriations, pensions liabilities and other future contractual and spending commitments.
Speaking about the amendments, Salmond said: “The Prime Minister is intent on fast-tracking this Bill to avoid parliamentary and public scrutiny and to duck the big questions on a hard Tory Brexit. She is rushing towards her own cliff edge and taking the rest of the country with her. Her behaviour is a contempt of Parliament and defies logic and reason. Her refusal to live up to her own promise, on becoming Prime Minister, to agree a common position with the devolved administration demonstrates an arrogant affront to the people of Scotland.
“The SNP is seeking guarantees and assurances on vital issues the UK Government seems to wish to leave undebated. These are all substantive points, many of which would be covered by a White Paper which thus far the Government has refused to publish before the votes on the Committee stage of the Bill.
“These amendments set out very reasoned questions as the UK Government takes us towards a hard Tory Brexit which will have a direct impact on jobs, education, on trading agreements and on the future of EU citizens who have made the UK their home.”
Meanwhile, Labour’s own Brexit battle shows no sign of abating, with Jeremy Corbyn telling his cabinet to back him or go over the party’s three-line whip on Article 50.
“It’s obviously impossible to carry on being in the shadow cabinet if you vote against a decision made after a very frank and long discussion of the shadow cabinet earlier this week,” he told ITV’s Peston on Sunday.
Shadow secretary for Wales Jo Stevens, and Shadow early years minister Tulip Siddiq both resigned on Friday.
Siddiq said she believed leaving the EU would be “a terrible mistake”.
Corbyn added: “What I have said is, we would vote to implement Article 50, we wouldn’t block it. I’ve made that very clear.”
In Scotland, the Tories have hit back at the Scottish Government, accusing them of being too distracted by Brexit to pay attention to domestic affairs.
They say that since the election in May, Parliament has sat for 68 days without a single piece of legislation being brought forward by the SNP for debate. This compares to some 17 debates and statements on Brexit.
Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins said: “The SNP spent all last week complaining about the need to get legislative consent for Brexit – despite the Supreme Court ruling unanimously against them. The truth is, this is a party which has shown legislative contempt for Holyrood, by totally failing to get on with the day job.”
He added: “It has been 10 months since any legislation has been brought before the Chamber and the SNP has denied Parliament the chance to properly scrutinise the Government over important matters like the Budget and Scotland’s failing education system. “
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