Seven Brexit facts you need to know today
Morning,
Today, of course, was meant to be Brexit day.
Which is a good moment to reflect on all that we have lost during the two years we have spend trying and failing to negotiate our departure.
Energy which could have been spent trying to fix some of the domestic challenges this country faces has been exhausted on trying to resolve a dream that was once the preserve of a few dozen cranks and zealots in the Conservative Party.
The Government’s attention could have been focused on fixing social care given the number of over 65s will rise by nearly 50% from 9.7million to 14.75million.
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Or it could have nurtured an NHS in England which has more than 4 million people on the waiting list and a shortage of 42,000 nurses and 11,500 doctors.
Perhaps it might have looked to build more affordable homes to ease the number of families having to live in temporary accommodation – up 63% since 2010 to 82,000.
Maybe an enlightened Government would have questioned why more than four million children are living below the poverty line or why, between April 2016 and March 2017, Britain’s biggest foodbank operator, the Trussell Trust, handed out 1,182,954 parcels .
Then it could looked at why more than 300 bus routes were axed last year or why the North East of the country gets four times less per head in transport subsidy than London.
Conceivably, ministers might have had time to draw up strategies for the challenges posed by big tech and AI.
They could have pondered why some 24 banks and €1.2trillion in assets have been shifted to the eurozone and why, of all the major developed economies, only Italy has had slower growth than the UK.
Or they could have surveyed these two years of neglect and concluded that this is a fair price to pay for “freedom.”
(Image: PA)
Theresa May will try to use what was once Brexit day to shame MPs into backing her withdrawal agreement .
Barring a last-minute change of heart by the Tory Brexiteers, which seems unlikely, then it will almost certainly be voted down.
Though the margin of defeat is expected to be significantly less humiliating than those inflicted in the two meaningful votes.
Downing Street’s tactic, if there is one, is to make Labour, the Tory rebels and the DUP own the consequences.
If we end up having European elections then Mrs May will try to absolve herself of responsibility.
The Prime Minister has done herself no favours by announcing her departure.
It may have won round some members of the ERG but it has alienated the Labour MPs she needed to have any chance of success.
Few opposition MPs will want to vote for a blindfold Brexit where the second stage of the negotiations will be conducted by a Brexiteer PM.
That said, an amendment has been tabled by Labour MPs Lisa Nandy and Gareth Snell that would require the Prime Minister to seek the consent of the Commons before negotiating any trade deal with the EU.
If selected it could see more opposition MPs backing the deal but it would bind the hands of the PM’s successor.
Today’s agenda:
9.30am – House of Commons starts debate on the Brexit motion.
2.30pm (approx) – MPs vote on the Government’s motion.
4pm – Leave rally in London’s Parliament Square.
Tomorrow:
Rally in Swindon to save the Honda plant.
What I am reading:
Tom McTague’s excellent long-read on how the UK lost the Brexit negotiations battle
