Theresa May admits she is willing to amend Brexit repeal bill after Tory rebellion as she faces off with Jeremy Corbyn in first PMQs since Parliament returned
PM suggests Government will be open to debating the legislation after accusations it will become a ‘power grab’
THERESA May has admitted she is willing to look at amending the Brexit repeal bill after threats of rebellion by Tory MPs.
She said she would meet with backbenchers as she faced off with Jeremy Corbyn in the first PMQs since Parliament returns from summer.
The Commons sparring session began with a question from Anna Soubry, the pro-EU former business ministers.
She suggested some of her colleagues were worried the EU (withdrawal) bill, which converts Brussels regulation into British statute, risked becoming “an unprecedented and unnecessary government power-grab”.
Ms Soubry said there is "serious concerns along the benches about the means not the ends" of the bill.
In response Mrs May said she will look at some of the amendments proposed, adding the government will listen to concerns ahead of the bill’s second reading tomorrow.
The PM defended the approach, saying it has been backed by the Lords constitution committee, but did agree to meet with the rebels.
And she said the secondary legislation will have Parliamentary scrutiny after criticisms of the use of so-called “Henry VIII powers” to bypass MPs.
It came as senior Tories today warned Mrs May against “rule by decree”, with former attorney general Dominic Grieve saying the Withdrawal Bill would mean “our domestic constitution and liberties vandalised” unless it is amended.
Writing in the he argued: “Even more worryingly it seeks to confer powers on the Government to carry out Brexit in breach of our constitutional principles, in a manner that no sovereign parliament should allow."
Mr Grieve added that “vast areas of law” could be altered by the Government “without full parliamentary process”.
He was echoed by Nicky Morgan, Tory chair of the cross-party Treasury Select Committee, said Brexit voters wanted a sovereign Parliament “not to an all-powerful government in Whitehall”.
Elsewhere in PMQs Mr Corbyn called on Mrs May to end the 1 per cent public sector cap - warning that "warm words do not pay food bills".
The Labour leader told the PM to "see sense" by scrapping the cap, amid mounting speculation that she is preparing to end the long-standing policy.
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Mrs May also sidestepped demands from Mr Corbyn to condemn McDonald's and Sports Direct for how they treat staff in terms of pay and contracts.
After being pressed to "categorically state" there will be no rises in the basic rate of income tax, national insurance contributions or VAT in a bid to protect those who are struggling to get by the PM pointed to the Government's record on help provided to people who are "just about managing".
There was no mention of Brexit in the exchanges between the two leaders, with both seemingly happier to focus on issues affecting workers.
Mr Corbyn told the PM: "Today, thousands of nursing and other healthcare staff are outside Parliament. They're demanding this Government scraps the 1% pay cap.
"Poor pay means experienced staff are leaving and fewer people are training to become nurses.
"There's already a shortage of 40,000 nurses across the UK. Will the Prime Minister please see sense and end the public sector pay cap and ensure our NHS staff are properly paid?"
Mrs May replied: "We absolutely value the work of all those public sector nurses, teachers and others who are doing a good job for us day in and day out in often what are very difficult and harrowing circumstances."
The PM noted two pay review body reports for police and prison officers are still to be published and will receive a Government response in 2017/18.