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HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI am. Happily, we discussed that at our party conference and agreed unanimously—something I do not think happened at the hon. Gentleman’s party conference— [Interruption.] He…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI will in just a second. The third option—alternative arrangements—remains undefined, and when the Prime Minister is pressed, either here or in Brussels, about exactly what she…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI will in just one minute. On Tuesday, in another non-update from the Prime Minister, she said what she wanted on the backstop and listed three things: a time-limited backstop; an…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI will give way in just a minute. The amendment called for the backstop to be replaced with alternative arrangements. It was extraordinary: a Prime Minister voting to support her…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI am grateful for that intervention: I think the hon. Gentleman has missed the point. The Prime Minister has spent weeks— [ Interruption. ] The hon. Gentleman wants an answer and…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI will just make the next point and then I will give way. The idea that the vote on 29 January for the Brady amendment gave clarity is for the birds. The Government united around…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI will in just a minute. Two weeks after that, on 29 January, the Prime Minister voted for the so-called Brady amendment.14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI will make some progress. I have taken a lot of interventions, and I will take some more in a minute. My simple point, which I stand by, is that both sides have been searching…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI do not know how to let the hon. Gentleman down gently, but let me try this: we are so patently unprepared for no deal that it is not credible. Let me give an example. There are…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI will give way to the hon. Member for St Albans (Mrs Main).14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI am grateful for that intervention. One of the central problems in all this is that the political declaration is 26 pages long, it is vague in the extreme and simply talks about…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI am grateful for that point. What I will say is this—14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUAs I have said from this Dispatch Box, so far as the extension is concerned, it obviously depends on the period and the period the EU has indicated might be available is the…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUNot at the moment. The hard stop would ensure that on 27 February the Prime Minister must either put her deal to a vote or allow Parliament to decide what happens next. Let us be…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI am going to make some progress and then I will take more interventions. I have taken a lot of interventions and I am conscious that a lot of people want to speak in this debate.…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI do not think I need to associate with or dissociate from anybody on what my views are. I think they are pretty clear. As for the timetable, I have set out the order of events.14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI just want to complete this point, because it is important. The Prime Minister has replied in non-committal terms—one could say that that was inevitable—and we are having…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI am not sure the hon. Lady carefully read the proposition we were voting for on the meaningful vote. It was the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration taken together.…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUI am grateful for that intervention. As the hon. Lady knows, I worked in Northern Ireland for five years with the Northern Ireland Policing Board. I know how deeply this is felt…14 Feb 2019HANSARD UK’s Withdrawal from the EUWell, I am not going to take that lying down for this reason: on the Government Benches, did they vote for the deal on 29 January? [ Interruption. ] Hang on, hear me out. The…14 Feb 2019