Contributions
4,303 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActIf anyone wants to intervene on me and say that the Conservatives are all going into the same Lobby, they can, but I do not think that is the case. The point is that the…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActThe hon. Gentleman asked me a question and I am answering him. Whether we like it or not, the Government’s deal is what we are voting on. We are not voting on what any one of us…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI have to say that I love this. We are voting on the Government’s deal, but Members are attacking the Labour party’s plan. Well, that makes a lot of sense. Whatever else we are…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI will just crack on. What we see from this document is that the envisaged future relationship will not deliver frictionless trade; it does not aspire to any more. There is no…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI just want to make this point. We need to understand why this document is so flimsy. It is not just an accident. It is not just that people were not working hard. It is not just…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActNo, I really am going to make some progress now because I have been giving in—hopefully, I have been giving way, though I may have been giving in as well! I have made the point…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI will give way in a moment, but I want to make this point because it is very important. I campaigned to remain; I wanted to remain. I agonised over whether we should trigger…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI can deal with that because, as Members know, I have been talking to the EU and the EU27 for quite a long time now, not to undermine the Government’s position—it was actually…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI agree with that, because if the Prime Minister’s own judgment is right that this deal as it was on 10 December is likely to go down by a significant margin, that brings into…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActLet me take that point head on, because it is very important. Our party—both parties—played an important part in the peace process, and I genuinely think that there is a…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI promised earlier to take an intervention from my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Doughty), so I will give way to him first.09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI will just make this point and then give way. I was here for Prime Minister’s questions today, and I carefully noted what the Prime Minister said in answer to the first question…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI will give way once more and then I really am going to get on, because I have been giving way for around half an hour.09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI have read the article, and I reflect on it. I used my words carefully; I said that there are risks in the backstop, which the Attorney General’s advice set out, and they are…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI am not going to give way. It is no good us pretending about this. I have said in recent weeks and months that the future relationship document is 26 pages long and that it is…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActThere is the customs union point and the single market deal point, and there are other issues relating to rights and protections, whether they are workplace rights or…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. I do accuse the Government of running down the clock, and it is a serious allegation. The article 50 window is two years—it is very…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActThank you, Mr Speaker.09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActI understand the argument that article 50 can only be a vehicle for a temporary arrangement and not a permanent one. The Attorney General addressed that, and it is obvious to…09 Jan 2019HANSARD European Union (Withdrawal) ActIt is a pleasure finally to be able to resume this debate. Thirty days ago, on 10 December, the Prime Minister told the House that the meaningful vote would be deferred. She did,…09 Jan 2019