Alex Salmond says vote on final Brexit bill is like having a ‘gun put to the head’

As MPs enter the second day of debate over the Brexit bill, it was announced that MPs and the House of Lords will get a vote on the final deal thrashed out with the EU.

The former leader of the SNP said the Government’s position equated to a "metaphorical gun to the head".

But as confusion remains over what a no vote would entail, the MP continually advocated the ‘reset’ button as part of the four amendments the SNP has tabled.

This would drag the UK back to the position it was before invoking Article 50 and potentially facing a further two years of negotiations as the arduous process of working out deal with the EU was started all over again.

GETTY/SKY

The MP continually advocated the ‘reset’ button as part of the four amendments the SNP has tabled

Mr Salmond said: “I think we have to know what happens when we say no before we go ahead at the present moment.

“We make an effort in new clause 180 we call the reset amendment, and what I ask the Prime Minister do is to seek from European Council an agreement if this house and the other place refuse to agree the negotiated we reset to existing membership of the European Union on current terms and try again.

SKY

It was announced that MPs and the House of Lords will get a vote on the final deal

“That we will only approve the deal one the terms as such, we believe are in the interests of this country.

“And the Prime Minister should not to present us with a bad deal or no deal, not a bad deal on world trade terms but a deal which we know is going to be in the interests of her constituents and her country.

Government Loses Brexit Vote Appeal Tue, January 24, 2017

Britain's most senior judges ruled that Prime Minister Theresa May does not have the power to trigger the formal process Article 50 for the UK's exit from the European Union without Parliament having a say.

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Issued by the Supreme Court of (top row, from the left) Lord Neuberger, Lord Mance, Lord Kerr, Lord Sumption, (bottom row, from the left) Lady Hale, Lord Clarke, Lord Wilson and Lord Hodge, who agreed with the majority decision that the Government could not trigger Article 50 without Parliamentary approval.

“I cannot understand why people think, even from a Breixteer standpoint, presumably the Brexiteers want success for this country and its economy, of thinking its a good idea to invoke Article 50 until you know what the end destination is going to be.

“Similarly I can’t believe its a good idea to leave the European Economic Area which is governed by different areas and different instruments until you know what the alternative is going to be.

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A metaphorical gun to its head

Alex Salmond

“And instead of giving these points away and putting all of the negotiating power into the hands of the those you’re negotiating with and their partners, any negotiation is a tension between two parties, and amy negotiation depends on the cards you’re going to have in your hand, and if the other side know that after two years that sword of Damocles comes down it puts them in a much more powerful position in terms of the negotiation.”

SKY

Alex Salmond has called for a reset on EU membership

He added: “I would argue strongly of the new clause and the amendment see out down to secure the position the end of the negotiations before we embark on something which is going to leave this house not just with a bad deal or no deal, but with a metaphorical gun to its head.”

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