Contributions
129 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActIt is a pleasure to participate in this debate and to follow the right hon. Member for Derby South (Margaret Beckett). I can tell her now that I shall be voting for her amendment…25 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 ExtensionI have been in this House for long enough—nearly 22 years—to know that Governments face great difficulties and often have to adjust to circumstance, so one should get used to the…20 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 ExtensionI am grateful to the right hon. and learned Gentleman for giving way. Just going back on his point—and he may agree with this—it is apparent that the remarks of the Chancellor of…20 Mar 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI agree with every word the right hon. and learned Gentleman says. This is a unicorn; it cannot happen unless so seismic a failure were to take place with the other party that it…14 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionIt may do, but it lies within our capacity to change it, and we will have to change it; indeed, it is inherent that it will be changed in the next fortnight, and I will move on to…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionJust to remind the Secretary of State: there was a second part to the question, which is equally critical. It is that the Government will have to bring a statutory instrument to…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European Unionrose—13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionDoes the right hon. and learned Gentleman agree that the difficulty with the Government’s motion is that it is in fact inaccurate? The fact is that the default position, indeed,…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionIn the spirit of trying to encourage the Government to be clear with the House, does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that the difficulty with the Government’s motion is…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI cannot agree with my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (John Redwood) that a no-deal Brexit is somehow eminently liveable with; it plainly is not. From looking at my…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionIt seems to me that the difficulty that might be arising across the House is as follows. If the House passes this motion this evening, and I have no reason not to support the…13 Mar 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI think that we have a duty to say to them that it is perfectly apparent that what we are going to get bears no relation to what was being debated in 2016. I further think that…12 Mar 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActYes, I will.12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionI thank my right hon. and learned Friend for his statement. I have no reason to disagree with his conclusion in paragraph 19 of his opinion, and I commend him for standing up for…12 Mar 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActIt is painful for me to find myself in a position where I cannot agree with my own Front Bench and with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on approving this agreement and…12 Mar 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI am most grateful to my right hon. Friend for giving way. I just want to understand the implications of article 62, because it seems that what he is actually saying is that that…12 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the EUI agreed entirely with my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Dame Caroline Spelman) when she said the atmosphere of this debate was notably different from that of previous…27 Feb 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the EUIt goes beyond that, does it not? The right hon. and learned Gentleman may share my anxiety that this issue seems to be consistently ducked. We have a pre-existing international…27 Feb 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the EUI am sorry to bang on about this, but we are a rule-of-law state and it is an unlawful question to put. If a Government choose to put no deal on a referendum ballot paper, they…27 Feb 2019HANSARDLeaving the European UnionI am pleased to hear from my right hon. Friend a willingness to consider the possibility of an extension of article 50 to prevent a catastrophic no-deal Brexit. She also said,…26 Feb 2019