The detailed debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill has now started – over eight full days of debate, MPs will discuss every aspect of the Bill during its ‘committee stage’.

This Bill is deeply flawed, damaging and not fit for purpose. It gives carte blanche to a small number of government ministers to water down regulations, rights and protections which come from the EU without Parliamentary scrutiny; it fails to make any provision for our laws to keep pace with future changes in EU law on important issues like the regulation of toxic chemicals; and it denies Parliament a meaningful vote on the proposed Brexit deal.

The government has also announced that they intend to indelibly write the date of our exit from the EU into the Bill, committing the UK to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 automatically, whatever the circumstances at the time. This is a dangerous and irresponsible move, which makes it possible for the UK to crash out of the EU without any deal in place, putting at risk thousands of jobs across the country.

My firm commitment is to continue to represent the very strongly pro-Remain views of residents in Dulwich and West Norwood who voted overwhelmingly to Remain in the EU; to stand up for the rights of EU nationals who are valued members of our communities; to fight for the rights and protections we currently enjoy as a consequence of our membership of the EU; and to oppose the Tories’ damaging hard Brexit.

I will do this at every stage of the passage of the EU Withdrawal Bill through Parliament. You can watch my speech in the second reading debate on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill here.