Briefing to Parliamentarians: Withdrawal Agreement Bill
The Brexit Civil Society Alliance is a UK-wide Alliance of over 80 organisations, charities, membership bodies and advocacy groups. We do not take a position on the 2016 referendum but see it as crucial that the process of leaving the European Union ensures the following:
1. Open & Accountable Lawmaking - Legislating for Brexit must respect the democratic processes, including the devolved nature of the UK constitution. There must be clear limits and safeguards on executive power. There must be robust parliamentary scrutiny at all levels with appropriate transparency and debate.
2. A high standards UK, with rights, standards and funding to underpin them maintained - Leaving the EU should not mean weaker standards, fewer rights or loss of funding. A UK framework for common standards must be mutually agreed between the four administrations to enable cross-border working and internal common market.
3. Leaving the EU should not create a governance gap - EU institutions have a role in monitoring, oversight and ensuring compliance with the law as well as setting regulations. Where governance arrangements are changed as a result of leaving the EU there must be clear powers and procedures for ensuring the law is properly implemented and enforced on an ongoing basis.
Executive summary
The Brexit Civil Society Alliance call on peers to support amendments to the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill 2019-2020 which addresses the following concerns:
Lack of parliamentary scrutiny and sovereignty
Regression in rights and protections
Citizens rights
The Protocol on Northern Ireland
Download the full briefing as a PDF at the button below.