MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
“Remain” cross party group in Parliament pledges to fight “hard Brexit”
The all party parliamentary group has been set up under senior Labour MP Chuka Umunna and the leadership of Tory former minister Anna Soubry A cross-party group to co-ordinate the UK parliamentary fight against a “hard Brexit” has been set up under the leadership of Tory former minister Ana Soubry and senior Labour MP Chuka Umunna.
The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on EU relations could cause difficulties for Theresa May as she attempts to steer Brexit legislation through the Commons, relying on the support of the Democratic Unionist Party.
As well as working together in Parliament, the APPG will collect evidence from business groups, trade unions and charities about their views on Brexit.
MPs in the group believe Parliament cannot be “spectators” accepting information from ministers, but should instead be “active players” in the Brexit process, independently seeking out information to inform voting decisions on the deal eventually negotiated by the UK Government.
Streatham MP Mr Umunna, who led a Labour revolt over Brexit last month by calling for the UK to stay in the single market, and prominent Remain campaigner Ms Soubry are the group’s co-chairpersons.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson, the SNP’s international affairs spokesman Stephen Gethins, Green co-leader Caroline Lucas and Plaid Cymru’s Jonathan Edwards are vice-chairmen.
The formation of the APPG follows weeks of private conversations between MPs of different parties and they will work closely with pro-European pressure groups Open Britain, Vote Leave Watch, Best for Britain, British Influence and the European Movement.
Mr Umunna said: “The General Election result was an instruction by the British people for parliamentarians to put their differences to one side and co-operate in the national interest.”
“We won’t accept MPs being treated as spectators in the Brexit process, when we should be on the pitch as active players representing our constituents.”
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Read all commentsThese idiots do not understand that there can be no remaining within the single market, we will have to negotiate new deals and trade agreements. They seem to forget that we are the EUs major trading partner and a major world economy.
Jul 11th, 2017 - 06:45 am 0'Those idiots' understand that MPs will get a vote on the eventual deal and are working together to try and influence it in the best interests of the country, as their constituents would want.
Jul 11th, 2017 - 10:55 am 0It's a shame the Pro-Brexit group aren't prepared to listen to all viewpoints but are planning to push through legislation with the help of a tiny minority party from NI.
By the way, we could negotiate new trade deals while in the single market, as long as we left the customs union. That's about the only option that would lead to a stronger economy post-Brexit.
@ Demontree, we are leaving the single market, at present any deal we make outside the single market requires us to pay the EU tariffs for such trade. In addition, the pro Brexit and pro EU components are not confined to just one party.
Jul 12th, 2017 - 05:51 am 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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