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What is the Withdrawal Agreement Bill? What is the Withdrawal Agreement Bill?
(25 days later)
Armed with its new majority, the government has published a revised version of its Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) to ensure that it can take the UK out of the EU on 31 January. The government's Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) that will take the UK out of the EU on 31 January has passed its stages in the House of Commons and has moved onto the House of Lords.
The WAB turns Boris Johnson's withdrawal agreement, which is a draft international treaty, into UK law and gives the government permission to ratify it.The WAB turns Boris Johnson's withdrawal agreement, which is a draft international treaty, into UK law and gives the government permission to ratify it.
Bills to implement major European treaties usually take several weeks to get through Parliament, and sometimes considerably longer. No new clauses or amendments were passed by MPs.
But the government is determined to push this bill through pretty quickly, to avoid another Brexit delay. It passed its second reading by 358 to 234 - a majority of 124 - and will be debated further after the Christmas recess, on 7, 8 and 9 January. If there are no amendments made by the Lords then it will not return to the Commons before it becomes law.
The opposition would have liked more time to scrutinise the bill in detail. It is, they argue, one of the most important pieces of legislation in decades, and MPs need to be sure they know exactly what it says and does.
But the government insists that sufficient time for scrutiny has been be given.
What's in it?What's in it?
What does the WAB actually cover? Among other things:What does the WAB actually cover? Among other things:
What's been changed?What's been changed?
A number of clauses in the previous version of the bill have been removed. They include:A number of clauses in the previous version of the bill have been removed. They include:
Between 2016 and 2018, 426 unaccompanied children came to the UK in this way.Between 2016 and 2018, 426 unaccompanied children came to the UK in this way.
Transition periodTransition period
After the WAB becomes law, the withdrawal agreement also needs to be ratified by the European Parliament next month. After the WAB becomes law, the withdrawal agreement also needs to be ratified by the European Parliament.
Then the stage will be set for Brexit on 31 January, when the post-Brexit transition period will begin.Then the stage will be set for Brexit on 31 January, when the post-Brexit transition period will begin.
For 11 months, the UK will still follow all the EU's rules and regulations, it will remain in the single market and the customs union, and the free movement of people will continue.For 11 months, the UK will still follow all the EU's rules and regulations, it will remain in the single market and the customs union, and the free movement of people will continue.
The challenge for the government will be to get all its new rules and policies in place by the end of next year. The challenge for the government will be to get all its new rules and policies in place by the end of this year.
This article was originally published on 21 October and has been updated to reflect changes to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill. This article was originally published on 21 October and has been updated to reflect changes to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill and its passage towards becoming law.
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