THE Withdrawal Agreement Bill lays out the terms and conditions agreed between the UK Government and the other 27 member states of the European Union.
The terms will have to be debated in Parliament although there is no guarantee MPs will accept it.
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What is the Withdrawal Agreement Bill?
The Withdrawal Agreement Bill is necessary now that the UK government has agreed a draft treaty with the European Union.
The Bill, should it be passed by the UK Parliament, will enshrine the deal in law.
Due to the strength of feeling with Remainer MPs and Prime Minister Boris Johnson precarious position in the House of Commons, Mr Johnson could lose the vote.
Theresa May, the previous Conservative Prime Minister got to the same stage with her agreement but failed to get the backing of Parliament.
Mr Johnson though believes he now sufficient backing to get his proposal enshrined in law.
Mr Johnson has an ambitious time scale and something of an uphill struggle to get over the line but he is positive it can be done.
He wants to get it all finished by October 31.
Mr Johnson made a “do or die” pledge over the date, saying if a deal wasn’t done by then he would still leave without a deal with the EU.
The situation would be easier for him if the Conservatives had a clear majority in the Commons as he could then push the Bill through but he finds himself in a precarious position.
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Things have become worse for Mr Johnson’s plans after the Speaker of the House John Bercow refused to allow a vote on the Brexit deal.
Some MPs are also trying to add a provision to impel the Government to hold a confirmatory referendum on the Brexit issue.
Due to the Benn Act the Prime Minister sent a letter to the head of the European Council Donald Tusk, making a formal request for an extension period until January 31, 2020 although he tried to subvert this request by not signing the letter.
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What does the Withdrawal Agreement contain?
It sets out how the UK will make the divorce payments requested by the EU over what it says are the UK’s outstanding commitments it previous signed up to.
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The Bill ensures parts of EU law are complied with in the UK during the time of the post-Brexit transition period lasts.
It sets out the controversial plan for Northern Ireland and its relationship both with the rest of Ireland as well as the UK.
Another controversial area is the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and making some areas of its judgements “supreme” over other aspects of UK law.
