Contributions
348 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionYes, I do. Given what is at stake for the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, for the credit and faith of the European Union, which will be on the line, and…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionIt does make perfect sense. I have to say that I would have preferred to have seen a right of termination, mitigated and graduated, fairly balancing and apportioning risk, and…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionI will try to obey the hon. Lady’s strictures about comments that I have made before. May I say to her that that is not quite right? I have said that the legal risk is reduced.…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionFirst, may I say to my right hon. Friend that I am extremely grateful for the dialogue that we have had and he was, in no small part, the author of the seeds of this idea. Much of…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionNo, no, no. We have not been attempting to secure alternative arrangements now. We have been putting forward the fact that, in the future, all those alternative arrangements are…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionNo, no, no. What I said to my hon. Friend the Member for North East Somerset (Mr Rees-Mogg) was that we would not do it in breach of the law. We are permitted, in a case of…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionLet me make it clear: the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom, it includes Northern Ireland and there is no circumstance in which the Government of this country, and certainly…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionWe have made a solemn pledge to the people of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland that the border will be guaranteed never to be a hard border. That required the…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionWell, my hon. Friend will know that as an Attorney General I simply could not give countenance to the idea that this country would break its international legal obligations. As I…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionI think I had better just say that I agree with that one.12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionI would need to see the hon. Lady’s quotation in detail. The position is that if you agree and put your name to a joint instrument of this kind, you are bound by it. You are bound…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionAnd so it was under that particular Prime Minister! I was telling the hon. Gentleman the complete truth, as I am telling him it now. I have forgotten what the other question…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionI entirely agree with my hon. Friend on that. With the law, we are not able to put something into a test tube, hold it over a Bunsen burner and, if it turns green, get the answer.…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionThe hon. Gentleman will forgive me for saying that I am afraid I am not permitted by the Law Officers’ convention to say whether I gave advice or what advice that would be.12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionAs my right hon. Friend knows, if the parties, using best endeavours, in complete sincerity with co-operation and good faith, are simply unable to agree anything, not even a few…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionI do not agree with the right hon. Lady. This instrument will be deposited with the withdrawal agreement, and it contains material new obligations, which are couched in the…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionThe hon. Lady can shake her head, but she has to look at the wording—at the text. If I have got something wrong, she will no doubt tell me, but the fact is that there are…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionI entirely agree with my hon. Friend; the legal ingredient in any political question must be subordinate, and particularly in connection with this political question. The fact is…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionI am extremely grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his question, which I will deal with point by point. First, my opinion has changed in connection to this country’s ability…12 Mar 2019HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement: Legal OpinionNo unilateral declaration is worth the paper it is written on if it is objected to. My understanding is that it is not objected to and that it will be deposited alongside the…12 Mar 2019