Democracy! Can’t live with it! Can’t live without it!

How grim to be an MP in this parliament. Resolved to do your best for the nation, as well as your constituents, according to your beliefs, yet you’re faced with Brexit and the intervention of the inconclusive referendum in the UK’s democratic processes.

There’s a rudderless government, a shouty prime minister who has no authority and an opposition who is playing at politics. And these are the leaders of political parties whose whips you are expected to follow. The referendum result wasn’t only inconclusive, it was flawed and is even tainted with criminality. Yet no one with any actual power mentions that.

There’s a vacuum in leadership. MPs may look longingly at some of their colleagues, hoping that one day they may take the reins, but they know that they are stuck with the hand they’ve been dealt to play out this particularly gruelling game.

But is it unwinnable? When this parliament is finally put out of its misery, what will MPs have to show for it? It’s bleak. Why would you go in to politics?

Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Show all 9 1 /9 Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Boris Johnson Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson has long been hopeful, he previously stood in the leadership contest that followed the Brexit vote and has at many times since been thought to be maneuvering himself towards the goal. He remains a darling of the party's right wing, particularly those in the ERG, and is the most popular choice among Tory voters but his leadership bid would be fiercely opposed by many MPs PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Michael Gove Environment secretary Michael Gove is another member who has long wanted to be leader. He has lately been known for rousing his party in the commons, his recent speeches on the Brexit deal and Labour's no confidence motion have overshadowed the Prime Minister's. He has been loyal to the Prime Minister, partly to shed his reputation as a backstabber who abandoned Boris Johnson to stand against him in the 2016 leadership election Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Dominic Raab Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has emerged as a favourite to be the Brexiteer candidate in a contest to succeed to Ms May. He displayed a grip on detail in his role as Brexit secretary. When asked recently if he would like to become prime minister he replied "never say never" Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Rory Stewart International development secretary Rory Stewart is pitching himself as the sensible candidate, promising to rule out both a second referendum and a no-deal Brexit. He was only recently promoted to the cabinet, previously serving as prisons minister, where he caught headlines with a pledge to resign if he could not reduce levels of violence within a year PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Esther McVey The former work and pensions secretary announced that she will be standing for the leadership when May leaves. McVey is the first to explicitly state that she intends to stand. She resigned from the cabinet in protest over May's Brexit deal AFP/Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Sajid Javid Home secretary Sajid Javid is said to have a plan in place for a leadership race. He made headlines over Christmas when he declared that people smuggling over the English channel was a "major incident" and more recently when he revoked the citizenship of ISIS bride Shamima Begum. Son of a bus driver, he wants the Conservatives to be seen as the party of social mobility PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Jeremy Hunt Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt was recently thought to be the favourite in the event of a leadership race as he could sell himself as the man to unite the party. Critics worry that his long stint as health secretary could return to haunt him at a general election. He has reportedly been holding meetings with Tory MPs over breakfast to promote his leadership PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Andrea Leadsom Following the Prime Minister's second defeat over her Brexit deal, Leader of the house Andrea Leadsom hosted a dinner party at which "leadership was the only topic of conversation", The Times heard. Leadsom ran against Theresa May in the 2016 leadership election before dropping out, allowing May to become Prime Minister AFP/Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Priti Patel Former international development secretary Priti Patel is thought to be positioning herself as a contender. One MP told The Independent "she knows she's from the right of the party, the part which is going to choose the next leader, so she's reminding everyone she's there." Patel left the government late in 2017 after it emerged that she had held undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials PA

As the countdown to crashing out of the EU with no deal, like the Doomsday clock, approaches midnight, all is not lost. Our MPs may have been put into an impasse by the UK’s prime minister, but other aspects of our democracy can still come to the rescue. The unelected House of Lords and democracy do not necessarily go hand in hand, but within the UK system, the Lords play an essential role in upholding the core elements of democracy. Where the Commons is now scorched with heat, the Lords can shed light.

The Lords can take an apolitical role. Baroness Helena Kennedy QC is a Labour peer, but first and foremost she is a lawyer. She puts the rule of law and justice first. If the UK crashes out of the EU, one of the first casualties will be social justice. That’s what happens in a national emergency. We all know that. There is even a risk that law and order will break down.

Kennedy has therefore proposed a simple solution to ensuring that the UK cannot leave the EU without a deal. Having consulted with a former top parliamentary counsel – one of those boffins who do the actual drafting of bills – she has come up with a straightforward solution for ensuring that the UK cannot leave the EU deal-less.

The Kennedy Bill has two clauses. But only one counts (the other is a formality and extends the bill across all the nations making up the UK). Clause 1 is simple and effective. Under the heading, “Revocation of notification of intention to withdraw from the European Union”, it states:

(1) Subsection (2) applies if it appears to the prime minister that a withdrawal agreement is unlikely to be ratified by the United Kingdom before exit day.

(2) The prime minister must in that case, before exit day, notify the European Council that the notification given by the United Kingdom under Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union, of its intention to withdraw from the European Union, is revoked.

The bill’s simplicity is its genius.

MPs have mandated that the UK cannot leave the EU without a deal, but in the absence of an Act of Parliament giving effect to that decision, their vote is nothing more than a political commitment. There is no legal duty to prevent the UK crashing out. Kennedy’s Bill makes MPs intentions law.

The Kennedy Bill does not prevent the UK from leaving the EU. That is not its purpose. All it does is prevent the Doomsday scenario of leaving without a deal. Revocation of Article 50 is the option of last resort and it should only be relied upon in these circumstances to prevent a national emergency. Leaving with no deal would turn the current crisis into an emergency. But for revocation to be accepted by the EU, it must be unequivocal and mean the UK is committed to remaining within the EU, at least in the short to medium term.

The Kennedy Bill will therefore require those MPs who are committed to leaving the EU to sharpen their thinking and focus on reaching a consensus. It will become incumbent on Remain MPs to work with those who want to leave to find an acceptable solution to the Brexit crisis.

Once this bill is law, it will enable MPs to resolve Brexit without the Sword of Damocles hanging over them. With no deal off the table, MPs can concentrate on what happens next.

The Kennedy Bill, or something like it, is long overdue. MPs can regain control of Brexit by ensuring it is passed. If parliament put its weight behind it, it could become law in a day. The government is at a cross roads. An online petition calling for Article 50 to be revoked has, within a matter of hours, already topped a million signatures. It is the fastest online petition in UK history. The same number are likely to turn up at the People’s Vote march on Saturday. Governments ignore these numbers at their peril.

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If the government wants to retain a semblance of control, it will adopt the Kennedy Bill. Time must be found in the parliamentary timetable early next week to push the bill through. If not, parliament could seize the initiative and make the act happen. If that were to occur, this would be the final death knell of Theresa May’s Brexit parliament.