Oppose a Hard Brexit? Or Stop Brexit?

UK Parliamentary sittings are broadly in line with state school terms.  The Commons starts the summer recess after the sessions on Thursday 20th July.  That's next week.

Before the Commons rises, the Great Repeal Bill is due to be published.  Appropriately named, not, as it will actually incorporate EU law into UK law.  It is a major step to leaving the EU, to avoid leaving gaping holes in the UK's legislation.

Like any other Bill, it will go through a complicated review process in the Commons and the Lords.  It's times like these that the Lords earns its keep in applying their experience and wisdom. Having attended Lords debates on Brexit, discussion can be robust!

Alongside this is a new cross-party group that is opposing a 'hard' Brexit, outside the Single Market and Customs Union. This is called the "All-Party Parliamentary Group on EU Relations" (Twitter @eurelationsappg).  The two leading figures in this group are the two Co-Chairs:

• Anna Soubry, the most vocal of the Conservative 'remainers'
• Chuka Umunna, the Labour MP who proposed an amendment to the Queens Speech to stay in the Single Market.  This was, backed by 49 other Labour MPs, of which 3 members of the shadow cabinet lost their jobs at the bequest of comrade Corbyn.  The relevant paragraph in the Labour manifesto page 24 is meaningless ("...a strong emphasis on retaining the benefits of the Single Market and the Customs Union..." despite the EU insisting benefits are not available outside them).  Corbyn showed his true colours as an arch-Brexiteer and supporter of the Tory party's approach to Brexit

Membership of this new group of MPs will come from those two main parties, plus the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, the Greens and Plaid Cymru.  This includes Caroline Lucas, the only Green MP, as one of the Vice-Chairs.

The three official objectives are:

1. "To ensure the UK does not exit the European Union without an agreement on the terms of its withdrawal and future relations with the EU;
2. To ensure that, in the negotiation with the UK's EU partners, all options are kept on the table; and,
3. To secure the closest possible working with relationship with the EU and its 27 member states."

The Group have accepted that the UK will be leaving the EU.  The Group's home page says "A referendum on the United Kingdom's future membership of the European Union (EU) was held in June 2016 and a majority who participated voted to leave.  Consequently in March 2017, the UK Prime Minister invoked the provisions of the treaties of the EU to begin the process of the UK's withdrawal from the organisation.  The UK Parliament will play a major role and will vote on whether to accept the agreement reached between the UK Government and the EU which will govern the terms of exit and future relations."  No ifs, no buts.

When they say "all options", Chuka has confirmed that it is not the Group's intention to stop Brexit.  But surely this should be an option on the table?  The referendum is best regarded as a 'starting gun' not a fait accompli. It is ridiculous to say that the British public should be deprived of the Stop Brexit option if things look bad.  Things look bad already.

Interestingly the Group has a "seretariat" supporting them consisting of several high-profile groups:

• Best For Britain - a group of Labour, LibDem and Green MPs
  
• British Influence - a commercial concern offering consultancy and specialist legal advice on topics related to the EU single market and the EU-UK negotiations
• European Movement  - a long-standing non-party movement more explicitly pro-EU and against Brexit
• Open Britain  - a cross-party group against a hard Brexit
• Vote Leave Watch - campaigning to hold politicians in the Vote Leave campaign to account for the promises they made during the 2016 EU referendum

Only one of these organisations is explicitly anti-Brexit, and the APPG is only campaigning against a 'hard' Brexit.

Surely some of the APPG's MPs are anti-Brexit?   Keen to Stop Brexit, just like many of the UK's voters.  Which of these MPs are going to go a stage further and lead a Stop Brexit campaign?

Indeed why not lead a Stop Brexit campaign under the auspices of The Just Party? This would allow centrist MPs to escape the tyranny of Corbyn's Labour and the Tory right.  Why not trigger a by-election, and be re-elected?  Like was being suggested last July?

The Just Party is registered with the Electoral Commission (number 2520), available 'off-the-shelf' to act as the 'vehicle' for such a movement.  Ready for another General Election called tomorrow if necessary.   As an MP, do take a look at the Aims and the party's Vision.  If  you find yourself agreeing with them, as many people do, then we're open to discussions!