Contributions
4,303 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionAbsolutely. They have real concerns about that, and they raise them regularly.13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI welcome today’s debate. The Prime Minister is leaving; I know she wanted to open this debate and we understand why she cannot; I send our best wishes for her speedy recovery. I…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI am grateful for that opportunity to speak about Northern Ireland, but I must now press on and talk about the impact on health matters. A no-deal would have a huge impact on our…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI will just make some progress and give way again in a minute. The Prime Minister used to tell us that no deal would not be the end of the world. Past Brexit Secretaries even…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI have spent a lot of time talking to officials in Brussels over the past two years, and I have been discussing the question of an extension for six months, because it occurred to…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI am going to make some progress. No deal should never have been an option. It is the worst possible outcome. Businesses know that, unions know that, and I suspect most of the…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionNo. I want to make this point because it is a really important point. The Prime Minister and the Government had a choice two years ago. They could have invited this House to…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionLots of things were said by both sides in the referendum that should never have been said, some of them by Members who have already addressed the House.13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI will come to the position in Ireland, because it was and has been treated casually, as if it is all a technical question of a line in the road. Anyone who has spent any time in…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI will give way to the hon. Lady, for obvious reasons.13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI am grateful for that intervention, because it takes me to a point that was repeatedly made by the Secretary of State, which is that it is somehow somebody else’s fault that the…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionNo. I want to make this point because it is important. The Government have failed to get the House behind their deal, and they cannot get away with simply saying, “That is…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI don’t gamble.13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI am grateful for the right hon. and learned Gentleman’s intervention and agree with his interpretation. I think it would be helpful to have the motion amended. One thing that has…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI am going to make some progress. For all those reasons and more, Labour will act tonight and oppose no deal. We support amendment (a), tabled by the right hon. Member for Meriden…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionNo! [ Interruption. ] I did not mean that rudely; it is just that I do need to make some progress. The “EU Exit” paper from the Government last year said that “WTO terms would not…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionIf the vote tonight is to reject no deal, and I think it will be, and the vote tomorrow is to seek an extension of article 50, and I think it will be, but it is only to seek an…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI do, and it is a real cause for concern.13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. That is a real cause for concern. In all my discussions with businesses in the past two years, but particularly in the past three to…13 Mar 2019HANSARDUK’s Withdrawal from the European UnionI give way to the former Attorney General, the right hon. and learned Member for Beaconsfield (Mr Grieve).13 Mar 2019