MPs to vote on Brexit deal before approval

British MPs have had a small win against the government and will get to vote on the terms of the Brexit deal before it goes to the European parliament.

Pro-Brexit demonstrators

Source: AAP

British MPs will get to vote on the Brexit deal before it is finalised by the bloc.

Brexit Minister David Jones told the House of Commons that parliament would get to approve the deal "before it is concluded" and before the European Parliament votes on it.

He said that the vote will cover Britain's withdrawal arrangements and its future relationship with the EU.

Keir Starmer, Brexit spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, called the announcement a "huge and very important concession," but demanded more details.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said the vote would be meaningless unless parliament was given the power to send the government back to the EU negotiating table.

Opposition legislators want to amend legislation authorising the start of EU exit talks, seeking to ensure they get a say on the final deal, but they're unlikely to stop the bill, since a majority of legislators say they will support it out of respect for voters' decision to leave the bloc.

The government wants to pass the bill through parliament by early March and trigger Article 50 of the EU's key treaty - starting a two-year EU divorce process - by March 31.

Meanwhile, Scotland's parliament voted 90-34 against triggering Article 50.

The vote is largely symbolic, however. Britain's Supreme Court has ruled that the UK government doesn't have to consult legislatures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland before it starts the formal process of leaving the EU.


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world