Time for a new topic: amendment 7

This, as I expect you all know, is to incorporate a "meaningful vote" on Brexit into the withdrawal bill. I am in two minds about it. As a matter of principle, Parliament should vote on whether the negotiated teams are acceptable. But I fear it will merely introduce uncertainty and make a hard Brexit more likely. It is to be expected that most people will dislike the deal for some reason - exit bill too high, not enough protection for workers, transition period too long or too short, of whatever. So thiis risks all those who have any objection at all into a single 'no' but giving no indication of what needs to be changed to get a 'yes'. (We have had this effect before when Blair attempted to reform the house of Lords. There was a majority for reducing the numbers but not for any specific amount so all the votes failed.)

So we could well end up rejecting the deal even though the majority agree with any one bit of it. This makes it crucial whether the effect of a 'no' votes is to crash to WTO rules, to cancel Brexit or to try for another deal. Which may or may not also have to go before Parliament.