Contributions
574 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019I particularly reflect on the hon. Gentleman’s comment that there are no innocent parties. Every Member of the House has probably overstepped the line at one point or another, and…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019I am sure that my right hon. Friend’s mastery of some of the technical details will stand him in good stead in his candidacy for your role, Mr Speaker, as and when that comes. He…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019The hon. Gentleman asks why the Prime Minister is not here today. He was here for three and a quarter hours, answering, I think, more than 125 questions—26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019The Government will take legal advice on this and a number of other issues. As the right hon. Lady knows, there is a long-standing constitutional convention that neither the fact…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019The right hon. and learned Gentleman says that we are at a low point. I agree. One of the reasons we are at a low point is that we asked the public for their views, and now…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019I was here when the Prime Minister made that statement—26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019I was interested to read this morning that the right hon. Gentleman nearly became Chancellor of the Exchequer. I apologise—I have never been in such illustrious circles, and I am…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019I thank my hon. Friend for advancing that argument. I think that the House will be grateful if I take it outside the House and have a detailed discussion with him, rather than…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019In politics, we are quite often berated for not giving a straight answer. I thought that the Government’s position was very, very clear: we will obey the law. Does the Prime…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019In the tone that you are setting, Mr Speaker, perhaps I may refer to a Member incorrectly and thank my hon. Friend, because there are many friends across the Chamber. If one reads…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019We will obey the law.26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019The law very clearly lays out the obligations in section 3 and other sections. I have nothing further to add.26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019I do not think I am sharing a secret: it is the Government’s intention to navigate their way around the Benn Act by getting a withdrawal agreement and a deal through the House of…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019Thank you for rescuing me, Mr Speaker. Your encyclopaedic memory is better than ours. The Prime Minister does not want an extension. Every sinew of Government is focused on a…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019I fear my hon. Friend is right that many are less worried about the law and more worried about stopping Brexit. We have had extension after extension, and the answer to this…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019All I will say to that is that it is somewhat amusing to see a member of the SNP defending the sovereignty of this House.26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019Let us be honest that a no deal is a very real possibility. Even if this House extends, whether through this Act or some other mechanism, we still might be in the same position…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019There was a big shift in the negotiations when the Prime Minister met Macron and Merkel, and that has really opened up the dialogue with the Prime Minister’s sherpa, who has been…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019I thank my hon. Friend for that question. It does worry me that this House seems consistently to agree on what it does not want but fails to grasp what it does want. If we could…26 Sept 2019HANSARDCompliance with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019For 40 minutes, I have tried to give a consistent answer. I think that hon. Members do not like that answer.26 Sept 2019