Labour rebel says he will back Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill

Jim Fitzpatrick on Victoria Derbyshire. Photograph: BBC. - Credit: Archant

A Labour MP has said he will back Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill – but he has not actually read the detail.

Appearing on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme, Jim Fitzpatrick said he had not read any of the detail of the bill but he said he would vote for it in principle later today.

In a tense exchange on the BBC, presenter Derbyshire asked if he thought it was acceptable to back something “in principle” without reading the detail.

“I will have read it by seven o’clock tonight, I hope,” he explained.

“You hope? Is this not what people pay you to do?” questioned an exasperated presented.

But the Scotland-born MP defended his stance by saying: “People pay me to make decisions, Victoria”.

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The presenter, however, hit back asking: “But in order to make an informed decision don’t you have to read it?”

Fitzpatrick continued: “We have been discussing this in detail for 11 and a half months. I will make a decision on the basis of judgement which in my view is that we need to move forward on Brexit.

“We’ve had this for three and a half years from the public… at some point we have to make a decision and I think today is decision time.”