European Union (Withdrawal) Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 1:05 pm on 7 September 2017.

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Photo of Chris Leslie Chris Leslie Labour/Co-operative, Nottingham East 1:05, 7 September 2017

I entirely agree with my right hon. and learned Friend, who has pointed out what a joke the Bill is. It sets out all those supposed safeguards, but, as my right hon. and learned Friend correctly pointed out, Ministers can make regulations to modify it. We are disappearing down an Alice in Wonderland rabbit-hole of legislation. Is it not also true that it does not matter when Ministers—the Prime Minister, or the Secretary of State—say, “Trust us: we will not use these regulations”? They could be here today and gone tomorrow, and Mr Rees-Mogg—could be Prime Minister. We could be totally in his hands, and there would be all these powers.