Brexit, the economy and house prices part 5

setmefree2

David Davis pledges openness over Brexit studies

Labour successfully passed a motion which seeks to have the 58 studies showing the potential impact of Brexit on different industrial sectors provided to MPs.

David Davis has said the Government intends to be “as open as we can be” over its Brexit impact studies after MPs backed their release.

The Brexit Secretary told the Commons he has held talks with Hilary Benn, chairman of the Exiting the EU Select Committee, with further discussions planned about the confidentiality surrounding the documents that will be handed over.

Brexit minister Robin Walker also said the Government took the vote in Parliament very seriously but prompted groans from Opposition MPs by his lack of detail on when the documents will be released.

Speaking in the Commons, Labour’s Jeff Smith (Manchester Withington) questioned if Mr Davis agreed that the papers must be given in full to the committee.
Mr Davis replied: “I’ve already spoken to (Mr Benn) … and I’m organising to talk to him about how we handle the confidentiality of the documentation we’ll hand over.
“I will reiterate the point made by my honourable friend that is these documents are not some sort of grand plan, they’re data about the regulations and the markets of individual sectors which inform our negotiation.
“Of course we will be as open as we can be with the select committee, I fully intend to.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/david-davis-pledges-openness-over-brexit-studies-36283589.html

setmefree2

Ha Ha The Evening Standard report this as bad news, imho it's great news.

London's property market to be worst hit after Brexit as houses prices plunge

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/londons-property-market-to-be-worst-hit-after-brexit-as-houses-prices-plunge-a3674691.html

Eric_the_half_a_bee

setmefree2 wrote: »

David Davis has said the Government intends to be “as open as we can be” over its Brexit impact studies after MPs backed their release.

All the negative bits will be blacked out. As a result, what is released will be biased positively.

setmefree2

Eric_the_half_a_bee wrote: »

All the negative bits will be blacked out. As a result, what is released will be biased positively.

Possibly.

The Guardian says "The Labour motion, tabled by the shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, calls for the full, unredacted impact assessments to be passed to the Brexit select committee, which would decide what elements could be released more widely."

The Brexit Select Committee has more Tories (including Rees-Mogg) than Labour although its Chair is Benn. However, of the committee 13 backed the remain campaign and 7 backed the leave campaign.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exiting_the_European_Union_Select_Committee

Eric_the_half_a_bee

setmefree2 wrote: »

The Labour motion, tabled by the shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, calls for the full, unredacted impact assessments to be passed to the Brexit select committee, which would decide what elements could be released more widely.

Passing the unredacted reports to the select committee will not result in that committee controlling what elements could be released more widely. It will result in leaks.

setmefree2

The FT

But the documents may not be published for three months and only in a redacted form.

https://www.ft.com/content/f5b041dc-bf33-11e7-9836-b25f8adaa111

setmefree2

WTH

It looks like the government shot itself in the foot here.

The motion was passed unanimously when the government abstained.

Robin Walker, Brexit minister, had argued that the government would refuse to vote and then could simply ignore the vote if so inclined. The government has similarly abstained on several ODMs in recent weeks to avoid the possibility of outright defeat.

https://www.ft.com/content/f5b041dc-bf33-11e7-9836-b25f8adaa111

setmefree2

Insiders at the Department for Exiting the European Union say the reports are unexciting. They describe them as “sectoral analysis” rather than impact assessment studies, considering issues such as exposure to EU regulations, reliance on European markets and possible alternative markets. David Davis, Brexit secretary, played down the documents on Tuesday, telling MPs: “I would not overestimate what they are.”

https://www.ft.com/content/f5b041dc-bf33-11e7-9836-b25f8adaa111

setmefree2

We in Ireland will do everything to help Britain get a great Brexit deal that won't harm cross-border peace

• Simon Coveney Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/02/ireland-will-do-everything-help-britain-get-great-brexit-deal/

setmefree2

National Audit Office to examine UK's Brexit divorce bill

Select committee told that spending watchdog will check that divorce bill represents value for money for British taxpayers

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/01/national-audit-office-to-examine-uks-brexit-divorce-bill