George Osborne, the Conservative former chancellor, has warned the public to expect a “bitter” divorce from the European Union, as MPs debated the government’s Brexit bill for a second day.

Osborne has made relatively few interventions in the House of Commons since Theresa May removed him from the post of chancellor in July. But on Wednesday he was among scores of MPs who spoke about the risks of Brexit.

He said he would not vote against the bill that will allow the government to begin the formal exit process, because ignoring the result of the referendum could provoke “a deep constitutional crisis”.

But he said that by deciding to put immigration control and escaping the jurisdiction of the European court of justice at the top of its agenda, “the government has chosen – and I respect this decision – not to make the economy the priority”.



During prime minister’s questions earlier, May said she would publish a white paper on the government’s negotiating plans on Thursday. Tabling a formal paper was a key demand of Conservative rebels, several of whom – including Nicky Morgan, the former education secretary – said they would now vote with the government.

However, Morgan said she believed Brexit had added to the risks in global politics. “I have to be honest: never in my adult life have I felt so concerned about the stability and state of the world in which we live. With the Brexit vote, we have added an extra layer of uncertainty to our world,” she said.

Osborne was a key figure in the remain campaign, and put the economic costs of Brexit at the centre of an ultimately unsuccessful effort to convince the British public that leaving the EU was not worth the risk.

He stressed that the only question on the ballot paper in the referendum had been whether to leave the EU, and tough battles would be fought in the Commons in the years ahead over a series of other issues – free trade, immigration, agricultural protectionism and whether to bail out failing firms.

Signalling that he had no intention of abandoning the political frontline, he added: “I will be in those fights.”

Osborne’s was one of a series of powerful speeches from MPs conscious of the historic significance of the decision they were being asked to make.

He was preceded by the former Labour leader Ed Miliband, who said he would be voting for the bill at its second reading, but warned the government: “history will judge us not just on the decisions we make on this bill tonight, but on the decisions beyond. The government have a heavy responsibility, and we expect them to exercise it on behalf of the whole nation, not just the 52%. For that we will hold them to account in the months and years ahead.”

Alex Salmond, the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesman, said May’s trip to the White House last week underlined the fact that losing EU membership was already forcing the UK strike up too close a relationship with the US. “She goes headlong into the arms of a United States president who is, at best, unpredictable. This is going to get worse and more embarrassing because of the imbalance in the relationship,” he said.

A series of Labour backbenchers took to their feet in turn to explain, some in passionate terms, why they would be disregarding their leader’s three-line whip and voting against the triggering of article 50.

Chris Bryant, the Labour MP for the Rhondda and a former shadow leader of the Commons, said he would be voting against the bill – despite the fact that his constituency voted leave – because he believed in internationalism and tolerance.

“All my life I have believed that the best form of patriotism is internationalism,” he said. “I fear the turn this world is taking towards narrow nationalism, protectionism and demagoguery. Distrust of those who are different from us can all too often, although not always, turn to hatred of foreigners. That way lies the trail to war.”

He added: “I have stood at every election on a platform and a party manifesto that said we would stay in the European Union. That was my solemn vow to the voters of the Rhondda. I admit that I lost the vote, including in my constituency, but I have not lost my faith. It remains my deep conviction that leaving the European Union, especially on the terms that the government seem to expect, will do untold damage to my constituents, especially the poorest of them.”