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Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal returns to the Commons on Tuesday as the Government resumes its push to drive through Britain’s departure from the EU by the end of the month.
MPs, returning to Westminster following their Christmas break, begin three days of detailed debate on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill with the House expected to sit late into the night.
Opposition parties have tabled a number of amendments to the legislation, but with the Government now enjoying a Commons majority of 80 they look unlikely to succeed.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party‘s top body has agreed the timetable for the leadership contest, with Rebecca Long-Bailey becoming the sixth candidate to enter the race.
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Ian Murray confirms bid to stand for deputy Labour leader
Mr Murray, Scotland’s only Labour MP, has confirmed his bid to stand for deputy leader of the party.
The 43-year-old retained his Edinburgh South seat with a majority of more than 11,000 in the December election and said Labour would need to “beat the odds” to win again.
He said:
“The architects of the party’s catastrophic failure in 2019 cannot be allowed to be the architects of the response.
“The next leadership team must turn us into an election-winning machine that uses the skills and talents of all our members and supporters to succeed.
“To win again we will need to beat the odds and I know how to win by building broad coalitions of support.”
In a piece for the Daily Mirror, Mr Murray also wrote:
“I never again want to feel like I did at 10pm on the night of the general election.”
Meanwhile, here is a summary of the Labour leadership contenders:
What happens after the debate of the Withdrawal Bill?
As Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill returns to the Commons today, here’s what to expect as the PM pushes to drive it through by January 31..
- The WAB has already cleared its first Commons hurdle, passing its second reading vote before Christmas with a majority of 124.
- The Government now wants it to complete its remaining stages in the lower House by the end of business on Thursday.
- It would then go to the Lords next week, with ministers confident it can conclude its passage through Parliament in time for it to be ratified by the European Parliament by the end of the month.
- That would mean the UK leaving the EU on January 31, with a deal in place covering citizens’ rights, the Irish border and Britain’s “divorce bill” of about £30 billion.
- It will also mark the start of an 11-month transition period, during which the UK will continue to follow EU rules, while negotiations take place on a free trade agreement.
- Mr Johnson has been adamant he will not seek any extension to the transition period, raising fears among opposition parties that Britain could be heading for a no-deal Brexit at the end of the year.
- Labour has tabled an amendment to the WAB requiring ministers to seek a two year extension to the transition period, to the end of 2023, if there is no agreement by mid June. But given the Government’s rock-solid majority, the attempt would appear to be doomed to defeat.
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