Brexit: Lower net migration may not be the outcome

Peers have already voted in favour of guaranteeing the rights of European Union residents to remain, putting them on a collision course with MPs who rejected the idea.

Asked if the Government intendd to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of this month he replied: ‘Absolutely’.

He said the timing was particularly hard for the United Kingdom just as the new U.S. administration of Donald Trump was turning inwards.

Mr Benn said when the panel heard evidence from Britons living overseas “you might have expected them to say “please don’t guarantee the rights of the European Union citizens until you’ve sorted us out”.

A Brexit Bill which will give the Government powers to enact Article 50 was voted through by the House of Commons, which will have to vote again on a Lords amendment seeking guaranteed rights for European Union citizens.

But a Lords source from the opposition Labour party told AFP it expected to win its amendment “handsomely” on Tuesday thanks to cross-party support. But crucially, rejoining Efta would send a strong signal across the world that Britain is up for engagement, keen to still make alliances and share decisions with other nation states.

“And I’m drawn to the words of Michel Barnier, and I don’t think I’m taking these out of context Hilary, when, this is the EU’s Chief Brexit negotiator of course, met with David Davis, the Brexit secretary in Brussels, towards the end of previous year and said: “No negotiation without notification, my work is now focused on the European Union 27”.

No 10 has assured Parliament it will get a say on the outcome, but opponents want the option of a veto, even if no Brexit deal is agreed.

“We want to return to sustainable levels and that’s all about… the pressure it puts on the health service, the pressure it puts on education, the pressure it puts on housing and that was very clear during the referendum”, he said.

“Engaging parliament throughout the process can only but help improve the prime minister’s negotiating hand, and a vote at the end will, I am sure, be conducted in the best interests of our country”.

When the same new clause was debated in the Commons, the Brexit Minister David Davis told MPs: “I can confirm that the Government will bring forward a motion on the final agreement, to be approved by both Houses of Parliament before it is concluded”.

“[The message I wanted to give], particularly for those who are going to be lawyers, to be judges, to be leaders of industry, this is a place that creates some of the leaders of the future”, he said.

Having failed to secure amendments during the House of Commons debate on the Bill, he added the Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for the voters to have a say on their “future”.

Mrs May will demand MPs overturn any changes to the Bill when it returns to the Commons on Monday.