Contributions
1,299 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionThe right hon. Gentleman makes an assumption about when the meaningful vote may take place. At the moment, the Government’s focus is to make sure that we can potentially get a…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionThe hon. Gentleman will know that Friday sittings are a matter for the House— [ Interruption. ] Absolutely, they are, in terms of procedure. We do not even know whether the…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionThe hon. Lady suggests that the House has actually decided; the House has decided to say no many times, but it has not decided to have a course of action or a plan that will take…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionAs usual, my hon. Friend, with customary clarity, gets straight to the point. There are three choices facing the House. We sincerely hope, even at this stage, that we can get the…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionMy hon. Friend puts it extremely well. These hypothetical discussions do not alleviate the uncertainty or address the problem. There is huge uncertainty, and the sooner we end it…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionObviously, if the House is asked to decide a way forward, it would be surprising if those votes were not free votes. Again, though, my hon. Friend will understand that the…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionWith respect, the hon. Gentleman utterly misheard, or certainly misunderstood, what I said. I was not referring to the meaningful vote; I was referring to the indicative votes…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionI cannot agree with my right hon. Friend strongly enough. The Prime Minister has set out her deal. I strongly believe it is the best way out of the EU and will continue to make…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionWe all have a responsibility. As I and other members of the Government have been saying for many months, the most orderly way to leave is by backing the deal, but other Members…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionMy right hon. Friend will know that the Department has been engaged in no-deal preparation for about two years now, although it has been ramped up in the last few months, and we…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionAnd Labour Members are urging the Cooper-Boles amendment. It has been rejected twice, yet they still seek to bring it back to the House. That is how the House of Commons is…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionMy hon. Friend is quite right. The Government would have to lay a statutory instrument and the House would have to debate and vote on it.22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionAs with my hon. Friend the Member for Henley (John Howell), I am not getting into hypo- theticals. I have said that we hope to have a meaningful vote—let us see, Mr Speaker, if…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionAs the hon. Gentleman knows, that amendment—it is not clear whether it has even been accepted—has been rejected twice, and there is no reason the Government should back an…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionAs my right hon. Friend knows, the Government have always been committed to honouring the result of the referendum, and we fully intend to leave the EU in an orderly manner, which…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionI can reassure the hon. Lady that I am not cross at all. [Interruption.] Well, I am not; I am perfectly happy to take questions and to engage with the House. If we lose the…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionI am not going to say today—Friday—the exact hour and time the meaningful vote will take place or the SI will be tabled. I have set out the path and the process very clearly. My…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionI am not going to second-guess your decision on the meaningful vote, Mr Speaker, but there is a body of opinion, which I happen to share, that the circumstances will have…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionI commend the hon. Gentleman for his remarks about the increased violence and threats faced by all Members of this House; it is right to observe this issue, particularly as we…22 Mar 2019HANSARD European Council: Article 50 ExtensionI have said that we are committed to having the meaningful vote next week, and that once the meaningful vote is decided one way or the other, we will be looking to introduce an SI…22 Mar 2019