UK Parliament / Open data

The Government's Plan for Brexit

Proceeding contribution from Bernard Jenkin (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 7 December 2016. It occurred during Opposition day on The Government's Plan for Brexit.

I found the speech by the right hon. Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham) rather refreshing. I submit that democracy is an awesome thing. When the tide turns in the minds of the voters, it is refreshing to see their democratically elected representatives turning as well. I wish him well in advancing a humane case for a humane and sensible immigration policy.

We have to acknowledge that this is a fraught moment—for some, it is painful—in our history, as the hon. Member for Lewisham East (Heidi Alexander) demonstrated. We need to take on board the points made about healing divisions and adopting the right tone. The House should look at the continuum of our history: a whole millennium of this nation. Our successors will look back on this short period in which we were a member of the EU very differently. We have been in this organisation for only 43 years, which is a tiny span of our history. We debate it hotly now, but all the controversy will pass, and we will look back with much more equanimity than we feel today.

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
618 c291 
Session
2016-17
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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