Article 50 Bill process begins / Brexit bill clears first hurdle in UK parliament

The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on the 26 January 2017, by the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis.

This followed the ruling in the UK Supreme Court on the 24 January 2017 in the Article 50 'Brexit' Appeal.

The Bill if adopted would give the Prime Minister the power to formally trigger Article 50. The government hoped the bill would move through both the House of Commons and House of Lords before gaining Royal Assent prior to the 31 March 2017 deadline. However, news sources suggested on the 31 January 2017 that the government hoped to be able to trigger the Article 50 process by the time of the European Council of 9-10 March 2017. However, Open Europe suggested in a blog on the 16 February 2017 that the timetable might slip again to the closing days of March 2017.

In the days after the launch of the bill the main focus was on the divisions within the Labour Party as to how it would vote on the Bill in Parliament.

Two days of debate at the 2nd Reading stage of the bill took place on the 31 January and 1 February 2017 in the House of Commons. The 2nd Reading of the Bill was adopted in the evening of the 1 February 2017 by 498 votes to 114, commentators noting that this was 'the point of no return' for the United Kingdom to leave the EU.

The Committee Stage of the Bill was given three days of debate in the House of Commons on 6-8 February 2017. The bill passed through the House of Commons on a set of final votes in the evening of the 8 February 2017.

Separately, the UK Government publish a recently conceded White Paper on Brexit on the 2 February 2017.

ESO: Background information: Article 50 'Brexit' Appeal. R (on the application of Miller and Dos Santos) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union and associated references, 5-8 December 2016. Ruling, 24 January 2017 http://www.europeansources.info/record/article-50-brexit-appeal-r-on-the-application-of-miller-and-dos-santos-v-secretary-of-state-for-exiting-the-european-union-and-associated-references-5-8-december-2016-ruling-24-january-2017/

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

ESO: Background information: Legislating for Brexit: the Great Repeal Bill http://www.europeansources.info/record/legislating-for-brexit-the-great-repeal-bill/

The Guardian, 26.01.17: Brexit: where the parties stand on the article 50 bill https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/26/brexit-where-the-parties-stand-on-the-article-50-bill

EurActiv, 26.01.17: UK government publishes draft bill on triggering Article 50 http://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/uk-government-publishes-draft-bill-on-triggering-article-50/

The Conversation, 27.01.17: Article 50 hits parliament – here’s what to expect https://theconversation.com/article-50-hits-parliament-heres-what-to-expect-71954

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 28.01.17: In defence of representative democracy: How I will be voting on the Article 50 bill, by Graham Allen MP http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2017/01/28/article-50-vote-graham-allen-mp/

UK: Parliament: House of Commons: Library: Briefing Paper, No.7884 (27.01.17): European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7884/CBP-7884.pdf

Politico, 31.01.17: David Davis: UK has passed ‘point of no return’ http://www.politico.eu/article/david-davis-uk-has-passed-brexit-point-of-no-return/

Blog: UCL Constitution Unit, 31.01.17: What might parliament do with the Article 50 bill? https://constitution-unit.com/2017/01/31/what-might-parliament-do-with-the-article-50-bill/

Blog: IFG, 26.01.17: What should be in a Brexit white paper? https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/what-should-be-brexit-white-paper

Politico, 01.02.17: Brexit bill’s obstacle course through UK parliament http://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-bill-obstacle-course-through-uk-parliament-article-50-theresa-may/

United Kingdom: Department for Exiting the European Union: News Sory, 31.01.17: Opening statement on Second Reading of EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill https://www.gov.uk/government/news/opening-statement-on-second-reading-of-eu-notification-of-withdrawal-bill

Politico, 01.02.17: MPs give Theresa May power to start Brexit talks http://www.politico.eu/article/mps-give-theresa-may-power-to-start-brexit-talks-article-50/

BBC News, 01.02.17: Past the point of no-return http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38830552

Conservative Home, 01.02.17: We’re on our way – the Article 50 Bill gets a second reading by 498 votes to 114 http://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2017/02/were-on-our-way-the-article-50-bill-gets-a-second-reading-by-498-votes-to-114.html

United Kingdom: Department for Exiting the European Union: Speech, 02.02.17: Closing statement on Second Reading of EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/closing-statement-on-second-reading-of-eu-notification-of-withdrawal-bill

Blog: UK in a Changing Europe, 31.01.17: Article 50 hits parliament – here’s what to expect http://ukandeu.ac.uk/article-50-hits-parliament-heres-what-to-expect/

EurActiv, 02.02.17: Brexit bill clears first hurdle in UK parliament http://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/brexit-bill-clears-first-hurdle-in-uk-parliament/

EUObserver, 02.02.17: British MPs back May's Brexit bill https://euobserver.com/uk-referendum/136768

Euro|Topics: Debates, February 2017: Brexit takes first hurdle in parliament http://www.eurotopics.net/en/173750/brexit-takes-first-hurdle-in-parliament

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 03.02.17: So MPs have backed the Article 50 bill – what happens now? http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2017/02/03/mps-backed-article-50-what-happens-now/

IFG: Brexit Explained, 31.01.17: Brexit Explained: Article 50 bill https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/brexit-explained/brexit-explained-article-50-bill

UK: Parliament: Parliamentary Business: Bills and Legislation: 2016-17: Public Bills: European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill 2016-17 http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/europeanunionnotificationofwithdrawal.html

Politico, 08.02.17: For Theresa May, London was the easy part http://www.politico.eu/article/for-theresa-may-london-was-the-easy-part-article-50-bill/

Blog: Open Europe, 16.02.17: Why we may have to wait a few more weeks before Article 50 is triggered http://openeurope.org.uk/today/blog/may-wait-weeks-article-50-triggered/

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