Cooper-Letwin bill: here’s how the plan to prevent a no-deal Brexit by law will actually work ‘For the sake of jobs, public services and our national security we need to avert no deal,’ says Yvette Cooper

The third round of indicative votes scheduled for Wednesday has been pushed back to make way for the Cooper Bill.

MPs are under pressure to pass the bill through the House of Commons in one day in what experts say could be a difficult, but not impossible, task.

What is the Cooper Bill?

The bill requires the Prime Minister to table her own motion seeking MPs’ approval for an extension to the Article 50 process of Brexit talks to a date of her choosing. It is tabled by Labour’s Yvette Cooper but has cross-party support.

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This legislation is a bid to prevent a no-deal Brexit by extending the negotiation process beyond 12 April, the date Britain is scheduled to leave the EU if no deal is agreed upon.

“We are now in a really dangerous situation with a serious and growing risk of no-deal in 10 days’ time,” said Ms Cooper.

“The Prime Minister has a responsibility to prevent that happening. She needs to put forward a proposal, including saying how long an extension she thinks we need to sort things out. If the Government won’t act urgently, then Parliament has a responsibility to try to ensure that happens even though we are right up against the deadline.

“For the sake of jobs, public services and our national security we need to avert no deal.”

What is happening on Wednesday?

The group behind the bill, which includes Conservative grandee Sir Oliver Letwin, former Tory chair Dame Caroline Spelman, Labour MP and Commons Brexit Committee chair Hilary Benn, former attorney general Dominic Grieve and Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb, aims to pass the bill through the Commons in a single day on Wednesday.

Is the bill certain to pass?

Bills starting in the House of Commons require three readings before they pass through the House of Lords. After this they get Royal Assent and become law.

Completing the three readings can take from weeks to months. It is highly unusual to expedite the three readings in one day.

Bills in the House of Commons First reading The title of the bill is read out and it is published as a House of Commons paper for the first time. Second reading MPs debate the bill. This usually takes place no sooner than two weekends after the first reading. They decide whether it should be given its second reading by voting. This means it can proceed to the next stage. Committee stage The bill is examined in detail and amendments are tabled, usually two weeks after the second reading. Report stage The bill is debated further. This can happen at any point after the Committee stage. Third reading This is the final chance for MPs to debate the bill and can happen after the report stage, on the same day. The bill then goes to the House of Lords for its first reading. Then the bill goes to the House of Lords where the five stages are repeated. Again, this process can take a few weeks. Source: Parliament.uk

The MPs hope once the bill has passed through the House of Commons, it will be approved by the House of Lords and granted Royal Assent in time for the emergency EU summit on 10 April.

It is fairly unusual to pass a bill in a single day but time is of the essence with the 12 April deadline approaching.

“The bill isn’t certain to pass, not least because it goes against much normal Parliamentary practice, but the concern about no-deal is certainly very high in both Houses: much will depend on whether anyone tries to derail the process through procedural means,” says Dr Simon Usherwood, reader in politics at the University of Surrey.

But Dr Jack Simson Caird, a senior research fellow in Parliaments at the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, says it is possible to get a bill through the Commons in one day.

“This happens regularly with legislation that relates to Northern Ireland. It is not ideal from a scrutiny perspective. However, the main issue for this bill could be in the House of Lords, where there is no programming and it will be much harder to get it through in a day if there any peers that want to delay the bill,” he adds.

What about the indicative votes?

Sir Oliver will table a paving motion to allow debate and votes on Ms Cooper’s Bill.

An amendment to his motion would set aside 8 April for indicative votes.

What about the May-Corbyn talks?

Theresa May is set to engage in Brexit talks with opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn after announcing that she will be asking the EU for a further extension to Article 50.

She hopes the pair can work together to find a compromise.

These talks, however, leave the Commons “in a very uncertain place,” according to Dr Usherwood.

“The proposal by May to talk with Corbyn about ways forward might rob Letwin on what momentum remains of his programme of indicative votes and the new Cooper/Letwin bill,” he tells i.

“However, it might also encourage MPs to take their chances while they still can, before the party leaders start trying to force them into other routes.

“Overall, the main question is whether the May/Corbyn and the Letwin processes end up converging on each other, or making each other more difficult. Right now, that’s too difficult to say,” he adds.