Brexit bill - as it happened: Government accused of 'cover up' as Labour vows to force release of secret papers

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Kier Starmer vows to force to Government to publish secret Brexit reports laying bare economic damage

Peers in the House of Lords have started the lengthy process of scrutinising Theresa May’s flagship Brexit legislation.

It comes after an influential committee in the Lords warned that the legislation – in its current form – is constitutionally unacceptable and will need to be substantially rewritten.

More than 190 members had lined up to speak during the two-day debate on the Bill’s second reading. During the first round of debates, on Tuesday, one of the best interventions came from the former Brexit minister Lord Bridges.

He challenged the Prime Minister to make clear what sort of relationship the Government wanted with the EU after Brexit, adding ministers have so far provided “no clear answers”, offering only “conflicting, confusing voices”.

He told peers he feared the Government would come up with “meaningless waffle” for its future relationship with Brussels, and that the implementation period would be “a gangplank into thin air”.

In the Commons – as Ms May headed for China on an official visit - Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary raised an urgent question following a leak of the Government’s Brexit impact assessments on Monday evening. The papers claimed that Britain will be worse off after leaving the bloc regardless of the deal.

Labour have now vowed to win a Commons vote to force the release of the secret analysis laying bare the economic damage from Brexit, as the affair was branded a “cover up” by one MP.

Key Points

• Labour to force Government to publish secret Brexit reports
• UK will be worse off in every possible scenario after Brexit, leaked government analysis concludes
• Theresa May flies to China in major bid to secure post-Brexit trade
• Brexit Bill is 'constitutionally unacceptable', House of Lords reports warns

[30 January 2018 16:30 · Ashley Cowburn]

[30 January 2018 16:44 · Ashley Cowburn]

[30 January 2018 16:51 · Ashley Cowburn]

[30 January 2018 16:53 · Ashley Cowburn]

Former Whitehall civil servant has said the Brexit legislation "strikes a dagger" to his soul.

Independent crossbencher Lord Butler of Brockwell, who headed the civil service for a decade, also issued a stark warning over Britain's "illusory quest for independence" as it is "carried along on a tide of narrow nationalism".

He said: "I have been conscious of the benefit which our country has derived from membership of what has now become the European Union.

"Having said that I do think I understand why the 52% voted as they did.

"The rush towards a federal union is a mistake and may lead to disaster.

"Nevertheless, my view is that there is one thing worse than being a member of the EU and that is not being a member of it."

He added: "The prospect that the United Kingdom, motivated by what in my view is an illusory quest for independence in a world which becomes more interdependent day by day, is one that is painful.

"It becomes the more so when the UK appears to be carried along on a tide of narrow nationalism which has brought so much trouble to Europe and the world.

"However, I shall not vote against second reading of the Bill nor shall I support any attempt to delay it."

[30 January 2018 17:06 · Ashley Cowburn]