The EU Withdrawal Bill has passed its first parliamentary vote in the House of Commons

The EU Withdrawal Bill, previously referred to as the Great Repeal Bill, has passed its first parliamentary vote in the House of Commons. On the second reading of the Bill it was passed with a majority of 36 votes: 326 for and 290 against. While Teresa May celebrates her victory during this historic moment, the Labour party believes the Bill is an "affront to parliamentary democracy".  Labour also claimed that the Prime Minister and her government had made a “power grab”. In other words, the bill allows the government to “correct the statute book where necessary” without a full parliament vote. The Bill, once enacted, will also remove the supremacy of Brussel’s laws and end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice by the time the UK leaves the EU in March 2019.

The Bill, which aim is to ensure smooth legal continuity the day after Brexit, now moves onto its next parliamentary stage – the committee stage - during which it will receive detailed scrutiny and the final wording will be agreed. Then the Bill will have to be voted on again by the House of Commons before it can become an Act of parliament.