Rachel has issued the following response to constituents who have contacted her about new Clause 11 of the EU Withdrawal Bill.
In light of the recent concerns raised about the New Clause 11 tabled to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill at Report Stage, I felt it best to put down my thoughts on this key issue.
I am fully aware that Redditch, my constituency, was a leave town along with the majority of the UK electorate. Therefore, I believe that I have a democratic duty to deliver the best result for the electorate in Redditch. This means that the UK will be leaving the EU in March 2019 and the EU (Withdrawal) Bill will help to ensure that this happens. My ministerial colleagues are working towards securing a withdrawal agreement with the EU and I am confident that this will be achieved.
I can confirm that a vote will be held in both Houses of Parliament as soon as possible after the negotiations have ended. If MPs and Peers vote in favour of the deal, it will then be put into UK law where they will again be able to debate what has been agreed. The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 also makes clear that if Parliament resolves against a treaty it cannot be ratified by the Government.
As a former business owner, it is my sincere hope that a deal is reached before March 2019 for the benefit of the UK and especially my constituency. However, in the unlikely situation that an agreement is not reached or Parliament votes to reject it, the UK will leave without a deal. I am aware that the Government is preparing for all outcomes and it has given nearly £700 million to departments to prepare for the UK's exit from the EU as well as a further £3 billion over the next two years.
I note that the EU law currently sets out that the withdrawing member state leaves the EU two years after notification of Article 50. As such, unilaterally extending the negotiating period is not in the power of the UK Government. For these reasons, I did not support New Clause 11 to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill and I hope you can understand why I took this stance.
Date published: 18 January 2018.
As with all items in the FAQ Library, answers are subject to modification as events and circumstances change and evolve. If you would like an answer that is more specific to your circumstances, or to seek and up-to-date response, please email rachel.maclean.mp@parliament.uk.
