Jeremy Corbyn is facing a Commons rebellion next week after Eurosceptic Labour MPs accused him of ‘trying to scupper Brexit’ by blocking vital new legislation.
The Labour leader was under fire after confirming he will order his MPs to oppose the EU Withdrawal Bill in a crunch Commons vote on Monday.
Thirty Labour MPs have met with shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer to raise concerns about the stance, warning that it will be seen as a betrayal by millions of Labour voters who backed Brexit.
But, as the flagship legislation began its passage through parliament, Sir Keir confirmed that Labour is implacably opposed to it, even though it has no alternative plan for implementing Brexit.
Jeremy Corbyn is facing a Commons rebellion next week after Eurosceptic Labour MPs accused him of ‘trying to scupper Brexit’ by blocking vital new legislation
The new law repeals the European Communities Act 1972 that enshrines the supremacy of EU law. And it transfers thousands of EU regulations into British law in order to smooth the path to Brexit.
Ministers have come under fire for proposing the widespread use of so-called ‘Henry VIII powers’ to enable them to complete the job with only minimal parliamentary scrutiny. Ministers believe up to 1,000 legal changes will have to be made in this way.
And last night it looked likely that the government would have to introduce further safeguards, after a number of Tory MPs raised concerns about the extent of the powers.
But Labour’s position goes much further, with Mr Corbyn ordering his MPs to wreck the legislation completely.
The party is now also demanding a guarantee that the UK will continue to keep pace with EU laws on workers’ rights and the environment even after Brexit.
Labour also wants legal guarantees that the UK will be able to stay in the single market and customs union during any transition deal, with Sir Keir yesterday saying Labour could back permanent membership of the customs union, even though this would make it impossible for Britain to strike new trade deals.
Brexit Secretary David Davis accused Labour of taking ‘the most cynical, unprincipled approach’ to the legislation, adding: ‘People will not forgive them if the end of the process is to delay or destroy the process of leaving the EU’
And Labour is pushing for the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights to be written into British law, even though the party pledged it would have no more legal relevance than the Beano comic when Tony Blair first signed the UK up to it.
Brexit Secretary David Davis accused Labour of taking ‘the most cynical, unprincipled approach’ to the legislation, adding: ‘People will not forgive them if the end of the process is to delay or destroy the process of leaving the EU.’
Eurosceptic Labour MPs also reacted angrily to the decision.
Former minister Kate Hoey said her party appeared to be ‘trying to scupper Brexit’.
She told MPs: ‘This will be seen out there in the public by Labour voters – many Labour voters who came back to us having fraternised with Ukip for some time, came back and voted – as we are not really serious about leaving the European Union.’
Fellow Labour MP Graham Stringer also said he would be defying Mr Corbyn’s orders, saying the legislation was ‘absolutely fundamental to leaving the EU’.
Mr Stringer added: ‘The electorate have made the decision to leave. I don’t think they will understand the Labour Party taking a tactical position to vote against it, having said at the General Election only three months ago that we would implement the result.’
Mr Davis warned that a ‘smooth and orderly exit is impossible’ if the legislation is rejected by MPs, as Britain would be left in a legal vacuum. He said Labour’s approach would lead to a ‘chaotic’ Brexit.
The Brexit Secretary also rejected claims the new law amounted to a massive power grab, saying this was a ‘fundamental misrepresentation’.
Mr Davis said the Government’s powers to change laws would not be ‘unchecked’ and would be limited to minor corrections on legislation directly linked to Brexit.
Ministers could not use the power to create serious criminal offences, amend human rights laws or increase taxation, he added.
But, hinting at possible future concessions, he said was ready to listen to ‘those who offer improvements to the Bill in the spirit of preparing our statute book for withdrawal from the European Union’.
Sir Keir said the legislation would hand the government unacceptable powers, including the ability to agree any Brexit deal and divorce payment without a vote for parliament.
He said Mr Davis was ‘keen to portray this Bill as a technical exercise converting EU law into our law without raising any serious constitutional issues about the role of Parliament. Nothing could be further than the truth.’
He added: ‘It’s no good the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State saying they wouldn’t use these powers. If they wouldn’t use them, they are unnecessary and they shouldn’t be in this Bill.’
Pro-Remain Tories also signalled they would rebel at a later stage unless the government introduced new safeguards.
Former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke, former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, and former ministers Nicky Morgan and Anna Soubry all raised major concerns.
Mr Clarke said MPs may have to ‘force the Government to go back to the drawing board’ unless it tones down its plans.
Mr Grieve acknowledged the principle of the legislation was ‘absolutely vital’. But he said the proposed use of Henry VIII powers went much too far, adding: ‘It is in many respects an astonishing monstrosity of a Bill.’