Just to be clear …
Just to be clear, Jacob Rees-Mogg has been saying for some time, “you can’t just change the law … we can’t prevent the UK leaving the European Union on the basis of one debate.”
The European Union Withdrawal Act, (2018), which became law 26th June 2018, when the Queen signed the Royal Assent, states in section 13:
“… if by Monday 21 January 2019, there is no agreement in principle in the negotiations on the substance of the withdrawal arrangements and the framework for the future relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom, the government must publish a statement setting out how the government proposes to proceed, and must arrange for debate about that in Parliament within days.”
In other words, the UK leaving the EU is already legally binding and will take place on 29th March at 11pm. The Government and opposition parties, having not been able to agree a satisfactory deal, only have time to meet privately to discuss, and publicly to debate, how the UK leaves, not when.
Parliament can more easily debate significant amendments to the deal Theresa May’s government has already put forward, than begin discussing anything completely new, such as another referendum or extension of Article 50. Something new, would have to pass through several debates and readings, where any MP or member of the House or Lords, is permitted to attempt to add an amendment, all of which has to be voted on.
Another referendum would be a new proposed Act of Parliament. As with any new proposal of legislation, it would have to pass through; be debated and voted on several times, by both the House of Commons and House of Lords, before it may become a Bill. Even then, in order to become a legally binding law, and be able to be acted upon, such as the EU Referendum Act (2015), and EU Withdrawal Act (2018), it must receive Royal Assent by the Queen.
The process of making a law has always been deliberately procedural (slow) in order to ensure every consideration is taken. This is what Jacob Rees-Mogg has been doggedly attempting to explain to every media interviewer, in order to prevent the hysteria they are trying to create.
If another law is to be agreed, in order to delay the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, then the law it supersedes, has to be repealed, and this increases Parliament’s debating time.
If you are a Remain voter feeling upset about all this, and want someone to blame for demanding to have everything in writing and fully legal with regards Brexit, then think back to a certain lady, who in the Autumn and Winter of 2016-17, caused a furore by taking the Government to court in order to ensure the UK’s procedure of withdrawal would be legally binding.