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Sept 2020
Harrogate district MPs vote as Brexit bill clears Commons
Two Harrogate district MPs voted in favour of the government's Internal Market Bill yesterday, helping to take it to the next legislative stage.
Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, and Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty MP, voted in line with the government but Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon MP, abstained.
The legislation paves the way for the UK to override parts of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. MPs voted it through at the third reading last night by 340 to 256.
The Bill sparked controversy after Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, said it would break international law in a “specific and limited way”.
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The Stray Ferret contacted Mr Jones, Mr Adams and Mr Smith asking why they voted the way they did. None had replied by the time of publication.
The Bill will now undergo further scrutiny in the House of Lords.
What is the Internal Market Bill?
After the UK left the EU on January 31 it signed the Withdrawal Agreement.
The agreement included a Northern Ireland Protocol, which was designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland.
The Internal Market Bill attempts to override parts of the agreement. It would allow the UK to modify or reinterpret state aid rules if the two sides do not strike a future trade deal.
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