Last week the House of Commons voted by 494 votes to 122 to approve the European Union Notification of Withdrawal Bill without amendment. There were some career long eurosceptics in the voting lobby that evening who had a tear in their eye whilst some other MPs were voting with the heaviest of heavy hearts.
Only the SNP, Plaid Cymru, DUP, Ulster Unionists, SDLP, Greens and Ukip emerged unscathed. Labour’s rebellion was significant in size and for the resignations that came with it, Ken Clarke’s will have surprised nobody, and even the Lib Dems could only get 7/9ths of their MPs to vote against the Bill as Norman Lamb and Greg Mulholland respected the views of their leave voting constituencies.
However, this Bill is only the authorisation for the triggering of Article 50. The many amendments that were debated last week were really about delaying, constraining or blocking altogether our progress toward leaving the EU. It was good that none of them were accepted but that doesn’t mean the Prime Minister now has a blank cheque.
The negotiating process will be a matter for HM Government but all of the agreed outcomes will be a matter for Parliament to enact in law. The Bills that will deliver our trade relationship with the EU, our new visa and immigration system, the funding for our farmers and countless things besides will be primary legislation that is fully scrutinised by both Houses of Parliament.
The referendum result was clear and the House of Commons has respected it. However I’m now busy visiting businesses, trade associations and community groups across the patch so I can fully understand what the Wells Constituency needs from Brexit. It will be in scrutinising the legislation that comes next that I will be bringing those requirements to the attention of Government.