MPs will have 'virtually no time' to examine Brexit deal

Anti-Brexit demonstrators campaign opposite the Houses of Parliament in London - Credit: PA

MPs have been warned they will have “virtually no time” to to properly examine the details of a Brexit deal before voting on the legislation if the government secures an agreement in the coming days.

Jill Rutter, a senior research fellow at The UK In A Changing Europe, an initiative for research on UK-EU relations, said: “Frankly, parliament doesn’t have much option but to pass this thing.

“The government knows that it’s basically holding almost a gun to Parliament’s head, because if Parliament doesn’t pass this next week and the UK can’t therefore ratify it, then it’s no-deal on December 31.

“I don’t think anyone wants to take responsibility for that.”

She added: “MPs may be very frustrated that this is a massive deal, setting the UK’s long-term course, far more expansive than the Withdrawal Agreement… we talk about trade, but it’s aviation, it’s transport, it’s security, lots and lots of things in it, and frankly, they’re going to have virtually no time to look at it.”