The EU (Withdrawal) Bill has passed its first hurdle, with an overall majority of 36 – rather better than might have been expected. When asked recently what chance the bill had of getting through all its stages unamended, I said: “Nil”, but this should come as no surprise.

Like the European Communities Act (1972), which imports all EU law into our own domestic law, the EU (Withdrawal) Bill is a bill which is simple in concept and far shorter than many expected. The bill repeals the 1972 act, and crystallises all EU law as it will stand on the day we leave the EU, and incorporates it into UK law.

Just as with the 1972 Act, most of the detail will be left to the