In 284 days Britain will leave the EU. Last week Parliament debated a Bill that will make sure that when the sun rises in 284 days’ time businesses can carry on operating, workers will have the same rights, and consumers will be protected by the same regulations. Over time, we will then be able to decide what we want to change.
Whether you voted leave or remain, and whatever sort of deal you would like to come out of the negotiations, I hope you will agree that it’s important to prevent chaos on the day we leave. The EU Withdrawal Bill does this by translating all the EU legislation that we are signed up to into UK law. After Brexit - and depending on the trade agreement we reach with the EU - Parliament will be able to decide which laws and regulations we want.
Right now, the most important thing is that we agree the best possible Brexit deal for the UK. To me that means a deal that allows trade with the EU to continue without new barriers, along with freedom to forge our own trade deals with growing economies; it means increasing control of the UK Parliament over legislation rather than accepting so much passed through from the EU; and enabling us to have an immigration system that supports our economy and society.
To achieve all this the Prime Minister needs the strong backing of Parliament, she needs room for manoeuvre and she needs to have the option to walk away if the terms on offer are not acceptable. I don’t want her to have to walk away - ‘no deal’ is not an appealing option - but in any negotiation you do have to have a walk-away position. Tying the Prime Minister’s hands by legislating on our negotiating objectives with the next Brussels summit just weeks away is the best way to get a bad deal.
Over the next 284 days there will be debates on all aspects of our relationship with the EU – from our customs relationship to which regulations we keep and where we may want to go further than the EU allows. But the EU Withdrawal Bill is not the place to have those arguments. So I voted in favour of the Bill this week.