Caroline Lucas is urging Labour MPs to join her in voting against the 'premature triggering' of Article 50. She has also today tabled a 'reasoned amendment' [1] to the Bill being presented to Parliament alongside Labour MP Geraint Davies, the SNP's Stephen Gethins and the SDLP's Mark Durkan. The reasoned amendment seeks to prevent a further reading of the Bill, thus rejecting it altogether. 

 

Caroline Lucas MP said: 

 

“I urge Labour MPs to join me in voting against the premature triggering of Article 50. Many of the things that progressive politicians hold dear are at risk. If we’re serious about opposing an extreme Brexit then we can’t just wave through Article 50. Indeed the Labour Party leadership should be giving MPs the chance to make their own principled choice on one of the most important decisions of the UK's recent history.

 

“I will not be capitulating to the Tories over Brexit – and will vote against prematurely triggering Article 50 in the spring. That’s why today I tabled a reasoned amendment to the Bill alongside MPs from Labour, the SNP and the SDLP - I urge others to support it.’

 

"As the co-leader of a Party which stands for environmental, social and economic justice I will not support a Government offering no assurances to EU nationals living in Britain, threatening to turn this country into a tax haven and planning to throw us off the Brexit cliff edge by ending our membership of the Single Market and Customs Union.” 

 

ENDS

 

Contact: Matthew Butcher on 07885 459 904 or clucasmedia@parliament.uk

 

[1] Reasoned Amendment

 

Primary sponsor: Caroline Lucas

 

Sponsors: Stephen Gethins, Geraint Davies, Mark Durkan, Margaret Ritchie

 

That this House declines to give a Second Reading to the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill because it fails to provide enduring legal protection to the economic and social interests of the people of the United Kingdom in the event of exit from the European Union, fails in particular to guarantee the UK’s future membership of both the Single Market and the customs union, essential to the future prosperity of the UK, thereby failing to ensure continuation of free movement and the existing reciprocal rights enjoyed by EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens living in EU member states, fails to guarantee maintenance of environmental regulation at least as strong as current EU regulation, fails to prevent a race to the bottom on corporate taxation and on workers’ and consumers’ rights, fails to guarantee young people rights to work, travel and study in the EU at least equal to those they enjoy now, otherwise fails to adequately address the immense constitutional implications of withdrawal from the EU, including the future of the Good Friday Agreement, fails to adequately address the almost certain need for a transitional arrangement with the EU, and fails to guarantee a Ratification Referendum on any withdrawal agreements negotiated with the other EU member states.