UK MPs warned not to change Brexit bill

David Davis issued a last-minute warning to Tory rebels not to sabotage the Article 50 Bill amid fears that any change could see Brexit end up in the courts, reported The Telegraph on Sunday. Davis said that putting promises over leaving the EU into law creates a “greater risk of legal action”.

Davis warned that Prime Minister Theresa May would be negotiating with “one hand tied behind her back” if MPs approve two changes to the law proposed by Lords. He also said that protecting the rights of EU citizens in Britain without reciprocal promises would plunge more than a million Britons abroad into “uncertainty”.

“There will be many opportunities for Parliament to debate the ins and outs of our negotiation of a new partnership with the EU, and influence the outcome,” Davis said. “But attaching conditions to a bill that simply allows the Prime Minister to start the process of implementing the referendum result is emphatically not the way to do it.”

The shot across the bows comes ahead of a historic week in the Parliament that is expected to see Britain’s withdrawal from the EU approved by MPs and peers, reported the newspaper. May is preparing to formally start negotiations as early as Tuesday in a landmark moment in Britain’s modern history, dubbed “Independence Day” by supporters.

However, before that can begin, MPs must vote on Monday on whether to make two amendments to the legislation giving the Prime Minister the power to start Brexit.