European Union Withdrawal Agreement — 12 Mar 2019 at 19:00

The majority of MPs rejected the negotiated withdrawal agreement and associated documents relating to the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. Acceptance of the withdrawal agreement would have meant the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, ceasing to have direct influence within the union, but union law and rules generally continuing to apply until the end of 2020.

The motion rejected by a majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That this House
• approves for the purposes of section 13(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 the following documents laid before the House on Monday 11 March 2019:
• (1) the negotiated withdrawal agreement titled ‘Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community’;
• (2) the framework for the future relationship titled ‘Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom’;
• (3) the legally binding joint instrument titled ‘Instrument relating to the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community’, which reduces the risk the UK could be deliberately held in the Northern Ireland backstop indefinitely and commits the UK and the EU to work to replace the backstop with alternative arrangements by December 2020;
• (4) the unilateral declaration by the UK titled ‘Declaration by Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning the Northern Ireland Protocol’, setting out the sovereign action the UK would take to provide assurance that the backstop would only be applied temporarily; and
• (5) the supplement to the framework for the future relationship titled ‘Joint Statement supplementing the Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’, setting out commitments by the UK and the EU to expedite the negotiation and bringing into force of their future relationship.

The withdrawal agreement, which was substantively the same as that negotiated in November 2018, provided for^[1]:

• * an "implementation period" running until 31 December 2020 during which European Union law and rules generally continue to apply in the UK. At the end of the period the new arrangements for a relationship between the United Kingdom and European Union would come into force.
• * an option for the implementation period to be extended, subject to mutual agreement.
• * the protection the rights of of European Union citizens in the United Kingdom and United Kingdom nationals in the European Union, ensuring they can continue to live their lives broadly in the same way. This includes the protection of benefit, pension and reciprocal healthcare rights.
• * the free circulation of goods on the EU or UK market before the end of the implementation period.
• * a financial settlement in the order of £35-39 billion, covering participation in the European Union's budgets during 2019 and 2020, and sharing in ongoing receipts and liabilities, such as European Union staff and European Parliament member, pensions.
• * a commitment to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland and that there will be no split in the UK’s customs territory.

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• [1] Explainer for the agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union, Gov.uk, 14 November 2018

Debate in Parliament |