EU Council
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the European Council meeting tha...
I thank the Prime Minister for his statement, a copy of which I received a short time ago. I wish...
Show all contributions (143)
Let me wish the right hon. Gentleman—along with you, Mr Speaker—a very happy new year. Let me als...
Does the Prime Minister remain confident that he will obtain a full British opt-out from the ever...
My right hon. and learned Friend makes two very powerful points. First, the ever-closer union doe...
It is our first day back in Parliament so this is our first opportunity to say that our hearts go...
On the right hon. Gentleman’s last point, Scotland had a referendum on whether to remain part of ...
Does the Prime Minister agree that the focus on the success or failure of his renegotiation risks...
Once this negotiation is complete, people will have to ask the big question about whether Britain...
Before Christmas, I met 11 and 12-year-olds who were living in the “jungle” in Calais. They are o...
We are going to consider this in a very proper way, as I said during the Syria debate, because th...
My right hon. Friend has just stated that his package would “require changes” that are “legally b...
There have been occasions when countries have voted in referendums, or indeed when we have voted ...
The Prime Minister said that he ruled “nothing out”. If he loses this referendum, will he resign?...
This referendum is the Government’s policy, and the country will decide whether we stay in the Eu...
Did the Council discuss how free societies with free media should react to terrorist propaganda? ...
First, on what my right hon. Friend says about what Britain is doing in the EU to counter terrori...
The Prime Minister said in his statement that in relation to euro and non-euro countries he was l...
I think if we have non-discrimination, no disadvantage and no costs, that gives us the parity tha...
What treaty and other changes does the United Kingdom need so that the Prime Minister can impleme...
What we need to do is address migration from both within the European Union and from outside it; ...
The Prime Minister has indicated that the nation must “not be part of an ‘ever-closer union”. At ...
That is a very good question. What I am seeking is a legally binding and irreversible change that...
I completely agree with my right hon. Friend on that point. However, the European Court has never...
Clearly, if we have a legally binding and irreversible approach that says that Britain is not par...
Given that the Daesh terrorist apparently responsible for the latest disgusting video and the col...
The experts say that the terrorism prevention and investigation measures as amended are every bit...
Given that the Prime Minister has optimistically shared with us his hope that he can reach full a...
I would love to fill in my right hon. Friend’s diary. Indeed, I would love to fill in my own diar...
The Prime Minister made only one very brief mention of the principle of free movement in his orig...
Let me be clear: I support the principle of free movement whereby people in the European Union ca...
Before people cavil too much, let us pause for a moment to remember that it is only because this ...
My hon. Friend makes a very good point. One of the reasons that the problem of the draw of our we...
The Prime Minister referred to terrorism in his statement—terrorism in the middle east. It is all...
The hon. Gentleman is right to make the point that there are many victims of terrorism and famili...
The Conservative party manifesto said:
“We will insist that EU migrants who want to claim t...
No. I very much stand by what we put in our manifesto. The four issues that we are renegotiating ...
The Prime Minister is right to give his Ministers a free vote, as Harold Wilson did in 1975, but ...
I think people can see that this is a process in which they can trust. We promised a referendum; ...
The Prime Minister laid great stress on the fight against terrorism and it is, sadly, clear that ...
My right hon. Friend is right. In many of the debates about Europe that we have had in the past 1...
Many of those who argue for us to leave the European Union suggest that we could continue to be p...
The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. Look, my argument will in no way be that Britain cou...
Grassroots Out, or GO, was launched yesterday. Politicians from different political parties are w...
I will look carefully at what happens when you “pass go”! I believe that we are getting closer to...
It is not only Save the Children but UNICEF and others, including the International Development C...
I think that we will be in a strong position at the donor conference because we have done more th...
Of course the referendum will revolve around the political advantages and economic strengths that...
My hon. Friend is making an important point. If we were not in the single market, we would not be...
The Prime Minister clearly believes that he can negotiate a good deal with our European partners ...
The entire Government are signed up to having a successful renegotiation and holding a referendum...
The Prime Minister has for many years rightly berated the Labour party for giving up our rebate a...
I hope my hon. Friend had an enjoyable Christmas and new year; he seems to have started in a slig...
Prime Minister, on the question of European funding, hundreds of my constituents in Radcliffe hav...
First of all, I send the hon. Gentleman’s constituents my sympathy for the flooding that they suf...
Beyond the talks that my right hon. Friend is co-hosting next month, what other discussions are h...
My right hon. and learned Friend is absolutely right to raise this issue. It is why a defence co-...
May I commend the Prime Minister for, on this day of all days, demonstrating to the Leader of the...
The entire Government are behind the strategy of holding a renegotiation and having a referendum,...
I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to end the imposition of ever closer union, if that can...
We have just achieved the biggest return of powers since Britain joined the European Union, which...
The recent elections in Portugal and Spain have seen a surge in support for left-wing Eurosceptic...
We are all democracies, so we accept the results in each other’s elections. I am happy to say tha...
Does the Prime Minister agree that it is neither unfair nor inappropriately discriminatory to pla...
My hon. and learned Friend is absolutely right. One of the problems that has emerged is that the ...
The Prime Minister has said that the EU referendum will reflect the choice of the British people,...
This is the choice of the British people. Our aim is to set forward a choice for the British peop...
May I salute my right hon. Friend’s decision to allow Ministers to exercise their freedom of choi...
I make it a policy not to answer questions beginning with “If”, even if they are put as charmingl...
The common agricultural policy puts up the price of food for people in this country and is an unn...
If we look at the facts of the CAP, we will see that the days of the great wine lakes and butter ...
May I invite my right hon. Friend to make a list of the European laws and European Court rulings ...
I am very happy to come back to my hon. Friend. I do not have the list on me, as it were—I do not...
The Prime Minister has heard a call from first the Labour party, then the Scottish National party...
I absolutely understand the weight of argument behind the proposal. We are looking at it. I canno...
As the RAF seeks to destroy Daesh in Syria and Iraq, does the Prime Minister agree that our commi...
My hon. Friend is absolutely right; it not only provides the resources that the RAF, our Navy and...
However the Prime Minister wishes to characterise ever closer union, is it not the case that most...
The hon. Gentleman makes an important argument, but I think there are forces going in both direct...
The Prime Minister tells us that other EU Heads of Government say that the EU needs Great Britain...
I will bear that in mind when I see Chancellor Merkel in the snows of Bavaria on Wednesday evenin...
At the recent meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, huge concern was expressed by ...
The hon. Gentleman makes a very important point. One of the strongest voices of support for the B...
On security, one thing that safeguards the United Kingdom against terrorism, although it is not f...
My hon. Friend is absolutely right about this issue. I raised it personally at the European Counc...
Happy new year, Mr Speaker. [Interruption.] And to you all.
Britain is taking great leaders...
The hon. Gentleman raises an important point, and I will ensure that it is properly dealt with. T...
EU migrants can claim up to £700 a month in tax credits, which is almost double the amount to whi...
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise that issue. Britain’s requirement on these welfare ch...
Given that the ballot paper in the European referendum makes no mention of the Prime Minister’s r...
The right thing to do is to wait for the renegotiation and see whether we want to remain in the E...
Given the critical economic impact on this country of whether we leave or remain in the EU, will ...
That is absolutely key to our negotiating aims, and a country that is a member of the single mark...
Being part of the single European market is obviously vital to the British economy. Will the Prim...
I certainly believe that documents need to be published, and I think that the other place insiste...
My right hon. Friend rightly told the House about the discussions on aviation security and passen...
We did not go into that level of detail, but clearly the aim now is to have far greater collabora...
The Polish Foreign Minister is reported as saying that Poland will support the Prime Minister on ...
I do not think a NATO base has been discussed. Certainly, we support the idea that more NATO forc...
After the latest European Council meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “It is important...
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I think there is good will towards Britain. As I said, many o...
I wish the Prime Minister well in his renegotiations. I shall be campaigning for Britain to stay ...
What I am looking for are changes that are legally binding and irreversible. Should a future Brit...
In the shadow Foreign Secretary’s well-received speech in the Syria debate, he quoted Karwan Tahi...
I can confirm that. As was set out in that debate, if we believe in shrinking and eventually erad...
In the Prime Minister’s remarks, he described one of his four pillars, that regarding in-work ben...
The UK has put its proposals on the table in each of the four areas, and of course, in the area o...
If, as seems increasingly likely, Switzerland successfully negotiates restrictions on the freedom...
As my hon. Friend might imagine, I am watching closely the Swiss attempts to renegotiate its posi...
Given the lack of progress and detail in the Prime Minister’s renegotiation wish list and conside...
We have made a lot of advances in recent years in making sure that devolved views are clearly tak...
As well as our armed forces, will the Prime Minister also pay tribute to British police officers,...
As my hon. Friend says, this is a good moment to pay tribute to the police. They worked incredibl...
May I take the Prime Minister back to the question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Norma...
indicated dissent.
That is what the Prime Minister said. I will give him the chance to put the record straight, but ...
Let me be clear—I hope I did not mislead the House in any way—the right hon. Member for Normanton...
I commend the Prime Minister for his statement. Will he confirm that UK personnel will not take p...
We are not a Schengen country, so there is no prospect of us being part of a European external bo...
In his earlier replies to my right hon. Friend the Member for Moray (Angus Robertson), the Prime ...
Very easily. If Scotland had voted to leave the United Kingdom, which the people of Scotland wise...
Does it not remain the case that by focusing our efforts in the region and by helping in those ar...
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The figures speak for themselves. We said we would take 20,00...
Has the Prime Minister discussed his renegotiation efforts with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, ...
I have not discussed the issue recently with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, with whom I am on v...
Returning to the subject of Syrian refugees, I was fortunate to meet in the week before Christmas...
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his comments. That is the right way of doing it. We have to k...
This afternoon the Prime Minister has talked about the national security angle being a compelling...
I have set out the position, which is that we will make a recommendation following the conclusion...
As chair of the all-party group on Denmark, I noted with interest that in the recent referendum t...
My hon. Friend is right. Europe has to address individual concerns of individual countries. That ...
The UK helped to draft the UN refugee conventions after the second world war, when we promised th...
I have just replied to that powerful letter and made a number of the points we have discussed tod...
I welcome what the Prime Minister has said about the Commission’s proposals on firearms. Some of ...
Like my hon. Friend, I have had some letters as a constituency MP from people who are enthusiasts...
Just before Christmas, there were reports in the media that some tens of thousands of blank EU pa...
I am not aware of that report. I will look into the matter and perhaps write to the hon. Gentlema...
Does my right hon. Friend agree that the controversial decision to grant asylum to Abdul Rahman H...
Such decisions are made independently, according to the asylum rules. However, let us be absolute...
NATO strategy and priorities must not be conflated with the EU renegotiation. Will the Prime Mini...
No one has talked about a base of the kind that my hon. Friend describes. However, I strongly bel...
Does the Prime Minister agree that there is nothing progressive or noble about handing over more ...
My hon. Friend is right. That is why, as I have said, Britain’s engagement on Europe is not half-...