On Monday, 1st April, the Sylvans debated the motion:
This House believes a soft Brexit is the solution closest to squaring the different political currents of the UK.
It was proposed by Peter Hulme-Cross and opposed by Rodrigo Aguilera.
The debate was lively, with passionate views on both sides. The proposer outlined a number of options for a softer Brexit than Mrs May’s current plan, as envisaged in the Withdrawal Agreement, and in particular advocated a model based on EFTA, similar to Liechtenstein. The opposer provided a very clear overview of the implications of the various soft Brexit options, and pointed out that there is no consensus on which option is preferred, and that none of them solves the needs of hard Brexiteers. He also advocated for a People’s Vote to break the impasse.
All sides of the situation were considered by the floor speeches, including the need to deliver on the Brexit referendum, the potential outcome of a new referendum and the impact on the UK’s representative democracy.
The final vote saw the motion carried by the narrowest of margins.