The Repeal Bill must pass committee stage – and all sides should compromise

Background
Following the 8 June 2017 General Election in the United Kingdom the State Opening of Parliament took place on the 21 June 2017. This marked the formal start of the parliamentary year and included the Queen's Speech which set out the government’s agenda for the 2017-19 session, outlining proposed policies and legislation.

The programme was dominated by proposed legislation dealing with the United Kingdom's planned leaving of the European Union. Eight of the twenty seven bills to be introduced were connected with Brexit.

+ European Union (Withdrawal) Bill (introduced on the 13 July 2017)
+ Customs Bill
+ Trade Bill
+ Immigration Bill
+ Fisheries Bill
+ Agriculture Bill
+ Nuclear Safeguards Bill
+ International Sanctions Bill

Even though the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill was introduced in July 2017 parliamentary scrutiny in practice only began in the autumn of 2017 after the summer break. Opposition parties, human rights groups and the leaders of Scotland and Wales criticised aspects of the bill and suggested they would call for substantive amendments.

Information associated with the Second Reading debate and vote on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill 2017-2019 in the House of Commons between the 7-11 September 2017 can be found here. On the 11 September 2017 MPs voted voted 326 to 290 in favour of the Bill.

The next stage was the Committee stage: House of Commons held on the 14-15 November 2017.As the United Kingdom Parliament returned from recess in October 2017, the United Kingdom Government's energy was again focused on its EU (Withdrawal) Bill. Open Europe's Anders Jay explained that all factions must cooperate to ensure that this vital piece of legislation survived committee stage during the autumn of 2017.

However, news sources such as The Guardian reported in October 2017, that the UK government was having to delay the committee stage examination due to the large number of hostile amendments put down by MPs.

• Primary Source

The Guardian, 18.10.17: Brexit strategy 'in paralysis' as EU withdrawal bill delayed https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/oct/18/brexit-strategy-in-paralysis-as-eu-withdrawal-bill-delayed

ESO: Key Source: European Union (Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19 http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-union-withdrawal-bill-2017-19-european-union-withdrawal-act-2018/

United Kingdom: House of Lords: Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee: European Union (Withdrawal) Bill (3rd Report (2017-19)HL22) http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-union-withdrawal-bill/

The Guardian, 12.10.17: EU withdrawal bill debate postponed as Brexit talks hit buffers https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/oct/12/brexit-talks-at-disturbing-deadlock-over-divorce-bill-says-eu-negotiator

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