MPs will debate a public petition calling the government to hold a public inquiry into the impact of Brexit on Monday.
“The UK’s departure from the EU was a democratic choice, and the UK-EU institutions are functioning as intended. The Government does not believe this to be an appropriate subject for a public inquiry,” said the UK government, according to a press release.
The petition, which has more than 151,000 signatures, claims that the benefits that were promised if the UK exited the EU have not been delivered and that UK citizens “deserve to know how Brexit is impacting on trade, the economy, opportunities for young people and how it has affected the rights of individuals.”
“This can only be done by an independent Public Inquiry, free from ideology and the opinions of vested interests,” the petition adds.
There were many promises made in the run-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum.
For example, the public was told that the £350 million the UK was sending to the EU every week could fund the NHS instead. In December, the Centre for European Reform said that Brexit reduced Britain’s GDP by 5.5% by the second quarter of 2022 which, in turn, has seen a squeeze on public services, including the NHS.
The debate will last up to three hours and will provide opportunities for MPs to question the government on this issue.
(Sofia Stuart Leeson | EURACTIV.com)
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Source: euractiv.com
