Feb 21st, 2017
Give the Public and Parliament More Say on New Laws
By Nicole G
When we Brexit, the government will rewrite the rules of the country. First, they’ll take existing EU laws and put them into UK law. Then they’ll go back and change them. That could be a chance for more democracy and debate on what post-Brexit rules look like. But there’s a risk the government could instead bypass democracy and scrap MPs’ right to vote on the changes.
Imagine if the ban on bee-killing pesticides can be changed behind closed doors? MPs and us, the public, won’t get a look in. Meanwhile, industry lobbyists will push their dangerous agenda behind the scenes. And that’s just one example. Everything from the safety of our food to protections for our countryside are at risk.
Rewriting the UK’s laws like this hasn’t been done before. So an influential committee of MPs is asking for opinions on how to do it. In one ear, they’ll have shady lobbyists, who want rules re-written behind closed doors. Together, we can drown them out and convince MPs that the changes to Britain’s laws should be voted on properly.
Please can you sign the petition now? Demand that Brexit means new laws are voted on properly, not drawn up behind closed doors:
There’s a huge amount at stake. Will laws made in Brussels be replaced by proper, democratic votes by British lawmakers? Or will we swap murky negotiations in Brussels for backroom deals in Westminster? If we don’t speak up now, the committee of MPs will only hear from the lobbyists who want back-room deals not public votes. But if thousands of us come together now, we can make a powerful case that laws mustn’t change without proper votes.
Whether we voted Leave or Remain, 38 Degrees members are pushing for a Brexit that works for everyone. One of the best ways to do that is to make sure new laws are voted on in parliament. Votes in parliament mean we can push our MPs to hear the views of us, their voters.
PS: So many important areas of law are at stake: rules about the environment, rules about how much paid holiday you can take, rules which govern what medicines are available. Brexit should mean these rules are debated and voted on in our parliament more, not less – so please sign the petition now: https://speakout.38degrees.org.uk/campaigns/1979
