13. Legislative Consent Motion on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:31 pm on 28 March 2023.

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Photo of Mick Antoniw Mick Antoniw Labour 6:31, 28 March 2023

Thank you Presiding Officer. I move the motion.

This Bill has no legislative merit in a modern, responsible parliamentary democracy. Unlike the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, which sought to ensure legislative continuity and consistency, this is an ideologically motivated discontinuity Bill. It serves no constructive purpose and sabotages years of parliamentary and legislative convention and democratic process. It will not improve the legislative framework or improve legislative understanding and accessibility, rather the contrary. If it continues in its current form it will create confusion and lead to as yet ill-understood and unforeseen consequences. It undermines the credibility and status of parliamentary democracy, placing immense power in the hands of Government Ministers to bypass parliamentary scrutiny and democratic accountability. It is a threat to and undermines devolution. In summary, it is a recipe for legislative chaos. Whatever a person's political perspective—left, right, centre—it makes no difference; this is just a bad, ill-thought-out, authoritarian Bill that discredits Parliament.