UK Withdrawal from the European Union — 13 Mar 2019 at 19:00

The majority of MPs voted against taking steps to reduce disruption in the event of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement. The steps rejected included delaying leaving until 22 May 2019, setting trade tariffs, continuing existing arrangements via a "mutual standstill" until the end of 2021 at the latest, and the UK unilaterally guaranteeing the rights of European Union citizens in the United Kingdom.

MPs were considering a motion stating:

• That this House
• declines to approve leaving the European Union without a Withdrawal Agreement and a Framework for the Future Relationship on 29 March 2019;
• and notes that leaving without a deal remains the default in UK and EU law unless this House and the EU ratify an agreement.

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

• Amendment (f), at end, add:
• “; notes the steps taken by the Government, the EU and its Member States to minimise any disruption that may occur should the UK leave the EU without an agreed Withdrawal Agreement and proposes that the Government should build on this work as follows:
• 1. That the Government should publish the UK’s Day One Tariff Schedules immediately;
• 2. To allow businesses to prepare for the operation of those tariffs, that the Government should seek an extension of the Article 50 process to 10.59pm on 22 May 2019, at which point the UK would leave the EU;
• 3. Thereafter, in a spirit of co-operation and in order to begin discussions on the Future Relationship, the Government should offer a further set of mutual standstill agreements with the EU and Member States for an agreed period ending no later than 30 December 2021, during which period the UK would pay an agreed sum equivalent to its net EU contributions and satisfy its other public international law obligations; and
• 4. The Government should unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU citizens resident in the UK.

The date and time for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union had been set as 29 March 2019 at 11.00 p.m. by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018^[1].

• [1] Section 20, European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, Legislation.gov.uk

Debate in Parliament |