4TH UPDATE (30/12/20): PM Confirmed - UK MPs WERE "Bounced" Into Accepting Flawed UK-EU Trade Deal

 

The White Ensign on Board HMS Bulwark

4TH UPDATE (30/12/20) PM: MPs have resoundingly voted for the Deal, and have been bounced into doing so. The BBC reports:

"Post-Brexit trade deal between UK and EU approved by MPs by 521 votes to 73 ahead of 31 December deadline."

The Official Leader of the Opposition, Keir Starmer, even stated that it was this Deal or No Deal. Except as Leader of the Scottish National Party, Ian Blackford, said: No Deal was not on the Order Paper.

Like we always say, LABOUR OR TORY, SAME OLD STORY.

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3RD UPDATE (30/12/20) AM: We have confirmed the view expressed in this article. So don't take our word for it. Take the word of the Parliamentary Committee responsible for holding the Government (Executive) to account. Below are some extracts from their report, which has only been published TODAY, ON THE SAME DAY AS THE VOTE, titled:

"House of Commons
Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union
The UK-EU future relationship: the Trade and Cooperation Agreement
Fourth Report of Session 2019–21"

This proves that we were absolutely correct to say that MPs are being "bounced" into accepting the flawed UK-EU Trade Deal. They express "deep concern" about the timing and blame BOTH the Government and the EU Commission.

"Conclusions and recommendations

p.4, section 6:

... Members of the House are being asked to read the deal (published on 26 December),
to read the Bill brought forward by the Government to give the deal effect in UK law
(due to be made available on 29 December) and to form a judgement on its contents
in time to debate and vote on the Bill on 30 December. There is no alternative given
where we are but that both the Government and the EU Commission have put
parliaments in this position is a matter of deep concern. (Paragraph 31)"

and again, under the title "Scrutiny of the Agreements" on p.14, section 30:

"30.   One  of  the  consequences  of  only  reaching  agreement  on  
Christmas  Eve  is  that  Parliament and the European Parliament have
not been able to scrutinise the deal properly."

The Committee also brings our attention to the fact that the Government intends to ignore the law that applies to have due scrutiny of Parliamentary legislation. This was confirmed by the House of Commons Library and we will be checking whether this is what is actually done today.

Under the title "Ratifying the Agreement", the report says on p.14, Section 28:

"We expect that the Bill will disapply the requirements  in  the  
Constitutional  and  Governance  Act  2010  that  must  be  met  
before treaties can be ratified." 

Our Leader Andrew Pope says: 

Andrew Pope

"The Committee is right, but what can they do about it? Our so-called democracy  is set up so that the Legislature cannot properly hold the Executive to account. And since 2000, this system has been replicated across most councils in England, including in Somerset. Citizens are sidelined, and the Westminster parties call the shots.

Not only is this Tory and EU Deal rushed, botched and failing both remainers and leavers, it is very clear that neither the Tory Government, nor the EU Commission, respect due process and due scrutiny.

The EU Commission and EU Council have already signed it off! But the EU Parliament seems to be totally irrelevant to the process, as they will be expected to rubber-stamp the decision already made. It's no wonder that so many people view the EU as undemocratic.

And the Tory Government is treating Parliament and MPs - who are supposed to be there to hold the Government to account and - with contempt too!

This is a typical example of the Westminster parties letting the people of Somerset down. The Somerset MPs will vote with their party and do as they are told, just like they did on Free School Meals. And as with Free School Meals, they will even defend the Government.

Members and supporters of Somerset Independents will be watching, along with all other residents of Somerset, and will continue to challenge them and hold them to account."

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2ND UPDATE (29/12/20) PM: Dr Stefano Fella at the House of Commons Library has replied to us this afternoon and confirmed:

"We are working on further analysis today"

What a relief! 

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UPDATE (29/12/20): Since the below article was published, and one day prior to the vote by MPs, we have endeavoured to check whether the House of Commons Library has published any additional analysis.

All we have been able to find is a brief introduction added to an existing paper. We have asked the House of Commons Library directly whether there is any update.

But they appear to be on holiday.

So this begs the question - what will MPs be basing their vote on? What the whips tell them to do? Or the toss of a coin?

This is only one of the most important decisions ever taken for our country!

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The photo shows the White Ensign, on board the Royal Navy's HMS Bulwark. It was taken by Somerset Independent's Leader Andrew Pope when he visited the ship on invitation as a Southampton City Councillor. Bulwark was docked in Southampton.

The Ensign includes the St. George's Cross, symbol of England and the Union Jack, symbol of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The History of the White Ensign is more involved than that, though space does not permit more detail here.

The image is pertinent now that the UK is leaving the EU. During the end of the UK-EU negotiations we were told that the Royal Navy will be "beefed up" in patrolling the UK's fishing waters.

Whether that happens or not, ITV reports that the nation's fishermen feel that that they have been "sacrificed" in the deal.

That is undoubtedly true. As reported by the BBC, a 25% cut in what EU boats can catch in our water, in over five-and-a-half years is a pathetic sell-out of our fishermen, who put their lives on the line every day.

Yet if the initial analysis of the deal, done by Somerset Independents, turns out to be true, the fishermen are not the only ones to be sold-out by Boris Johnson's flawed UK-EU Trade Deal.

Andrew says: 

Andrew Pope

"If our initial analysis is correct, we all will be sold out by this terrible botched and rushed deal, remainers or leavers.

It appears from our initial analysis - and we have to do it as volunteers because the House of Commons Library have nothing published just two days before the vote - that whether you voted Remain or Leave, this Deal does not deliver.

If you voted Remain, it is a bad deal.

If you voted Leave, it is a bad deal.

Yet it appears that MPs will be bounced into accepting it, because they have been presented with a massive document over the holiday season, and given precious little time to read it, understand it, scrutinise it and then vote on it - just days.

It is a totally unacceptable situation, that could have been avoided if we had a competent Government and competent Opposition. 

So many deadlines have been missed and so many promises broken.

Instead of promises made, we have Tory Boris Johnson at the helm with Labour's Keir Starmer as his First Officer, driving the UK into even stormier waters when we already have Covid-19 to deal with. It is difficult to think of sterner challenges to our country.

The only resistance from MPs seems to be from the Scottish National Party, who once again appear to be the ACTUAL opposition in the House of Commons. They will vote against the deal.

In contrast, Labour's Starmer says that although Labour does not like the Deal, that Labour will still vote for this terrible deal! 

Whenever I was in opposition as a councillor, I abstained or voted AGAINST what I thought was wrong. 

Perhaps it is too early to tell if Starmer is even more incompetent than his predecessors Corbyn and Miliband.

But as he has backed Johnson on Covid and now on Brexit, so Somerset residents will ask what is the point of the Tories or Labour when it comes to standing up for Somerset?

They've just caved in.

Once again at Westminster, it is Labour or Tory, same old story.

And it is the people of Somerset who will suffer.

That is why Somerset Independents was formed, to work hard for Somerset residents, even during the holiday season, and to stand up for Somerset residents.

Join us to stand together against the Westminster parties."

 

Standing Up For Somerset Residents