Helen Hayes’ challenged Boris Johnson on workers’ rights and environmental protection in the House of Commons on Saturday, as Southwark Labour and the Lib Dem members joined thousands at the latest People’s Vote march in Westminster against a no-deal Brexit.
Hopes parliament could wave through Johnson’s deal were left hanging by a thread as Johnson failed to secure a majority after losing the backing of the DUP at Saturday’s vote.
Instead, all three Labour MPs joined 319 others in supporting the “Letwin Amendment” which effectively blocks a no-deal Brexit by forcing the PM to request an extension from the EU in the event of his withdrawal bill being passed – with just a majority of sixteen. A further vote on the withdrawal bill, pushed through by Johnson, was expected on Tuesday evening.
Dulwich and West Norwood’s Helen Hayes challenged Boris Johnson in the chamber, arguing: “At any stage during the last three years the government could have agreed to internationally binding legal commitments to maintain existing workers’ rights and environmental protections and to ensure that rights keep pace in the future.
“At every stage it has refused to do so. Can the Prime Minister explain why people across the country should believe his empty promises now and if the PM is so confident that the British people will not see through his hollow rhetoric, why is he so afraid of giving them a final say?”
With just a week to go until the deadline, no deal, a deal, a delay, general election, referendum or renegotiation with the EU all remain on the table.
Don’t quite understand these workers rights . I was working before we joined the EEC and from the time we joined until today I have seen workers rights obliterated. When I see my contract now I am shocked and how its all in favour of the employer.
Most recently the MP’s allowed the ER people disrupt millions of workers lives and they did nothing …just shows how much they care for workers . To them its just a political game