BORIS Johnson’s Brexit deal cleared its final parliamentary hurdle last night, paving the way for the UK to leave the EU with an agreement in place next week.
MPs overturned amendments made by Lords yesterday – and the unelected House of Lords complied.
The Commons reversed five changes peers made as the legislation entered the “ping-pong” phase where it moved between the Chambers until an agreement is reached.
Peers had defeated the UK Government on the rights of EU workers legally residing in the UK to have physical proof of their right to remain and the power of courts to depart from European Court of Justice rulings – as well as a move to ensure the rights of unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with their families in the UK post-Brexit (see page 5) and a proposal underlining the commitment to the Sewel Convention, which states Westminster “will not normally” legislate for devolved matters without the consent of the devolved legislature affected.
READ MORE: MPs vote down Brexit Bill amendment calling for devolution assurances
But all five amendments were comfortably reversed by MPs.
With Brexit day looming on January 31, the bill, which was passed with large majorities by MPs earlier this month, remains on course thanks to the Prime Minister’s 80-strong majority.
All that remains now is the need for royal assent – but SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford is planning to oppose royal assent of Johnson’s Brexit Bill at a meeting of the Queen’s Privy Council. According to the Daily Record, the MP has made a formal request to attend the meeting of the Queen’s political advisers – and intends to stage a protest.
The request, made to Lord President of the Council Jacob Rees-Mogg, could cause the monarch to miss the meeting to avoid being dragged into the debate.
READ MORE: Brexit: Scotland snubbed in key talks as Northern Ireland has say
Blackford acted after the UK Government vowed to ignore the wishes of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish parliaments and assemblies, which have all rejected the Brexit Withdrawal Bill.
The SNP MP warned granting royal approval for the legislation after it was opposed by the three devolved administrations would “represent a serious breach of the letter and spirit of the Sewel Convention, which has underpinned devolution on these islands for the past 20 years”.
Blackford yesterday added: “If you can argue, as the Government seems to have done in this case, that the situation is not normal, then you can always say the situation is not normal.
“What is to stop you turning around and taking powers back from the Scottish Parliament at another time?”
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