European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) Bill

I will be absolutely honest with this Chamber, and to be absolutely honest with this Chamber, the...

The hon. and learned Gentleman and I share a common concern, then. My constituents in Walthamstow...

I respectfully and utterly disagree. As part of the United Kingdom, we are all subject to the Hum...

It is amazing to look at the volume of law: there are 70 pages containing not the details of the ...

Absolutely. I printed them off a couple of months ago and I was staggered by how voluminous just ...

I thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for introducing this debate. He is talking about the democ...

I will be dealing with that, but the hon. Member invites us to think that it is appropriate that ...

The Bill would create a democratic deficit that the hon. and learned Member has already referred ...

I respectfully suggest that the hon. Member reads a little deeper. She will discover that the Sto...

To continue the analogy, the Stormont brake has been described to me as rusty and not attached to...

And if we can pull it, nothing happens. That is the value of it. The most limp excuse that I hear...

I commend the hon. and learned Gentleman for bringing forward the Bill. It is important for us in...

The hon. Member touches on a fundamental. In June 2016, we all had the opportunity to vote on Bre...

Perhaps the hon. and learned Member would like to reflect on a proposal that I support—a veterina...

The hon. Member may wish to see the whole of the United Kingdom sucked back into the EU. I want t...

The hon. and learned Gentleman is talking with great passion about an issue that is really import...

I will deal with that more fully, but for now I will say that the trade that matters the most to ...

I thank the hon. and learned Member for introducing the Bill. At Prime Minister’s questions, I as...

I agree absolutely. We already see the consequences. [Interruption.] Again, this seems to be a ma...

A report came out two days ago suggesting that Northern Ireland’s economy was going to be stronge...

The hon. Member might be interested to know that the growth area of the Northern Ireland economy ...

I had not intended to intervene on the hon. and learned Gentleman, but on that point, Invest Nort...

Absolutely. I will return to that.

Will the hon. and learned Gentleman give way?

I will make some progress. I will be as generous as I can with interventions, because I know that...

I believe the European Union is our ally—it is 27 democracies—and I am concerned about some of th...

Maybe the hon. Member could help me. What would he call taking a territory and subjecting it to s...

Does the hon. and learned Gentleman remember that in the Brexit negotiations those so-called alli...

Yes, that was the boast of Mr Barnier and his staff: that the price of Brexit would be Northern I...

For the record, is it the hon. and learned Gentleman’s view that the 27 member states of the Euro...

The EU has behaved not as a friend to Northern Ireland. The EU has behaved as a sovereignty grabb...

We are moving slightly into the ridiculous; may I bring us back to the main point? The purpose of...

The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. Those of us who are looking for a solution are supp...

I find myself surprised to agree to an extent with the former leader of the Conservative party, t...

The whole purpose of this Bill is to restore equilibrium and to get us to a point at which we hav...

Will the hon. and learned Gentleman give way?

I have given way quite often, so I am going to make some progress.

That is why what I regar...

The hon. and learned Member mentioned certainty, and he has just mentioned the impact on the econ...

I can tell the hon. Member that it is exactly what businesses need. My constituency office is cho...

I thank the hon. and learned Member for giving way again; he continues to speak with passion. The...

There are human medicines, and there are veterinary medicines. The vast swathe of veterinary medi...

rose—

The hon. Member was the Health Minister in Northern Ireland and knows all about that, so I will g...

On that point—I see that Members are smiling; I am quite concerned about the attitude to the issu...

The hon. Member knows that from experience.

I want to make some progress, and to make one p...

I commend the hon. and learned Gentleman’s passion, but his problems are not unique. Anywhere in ...

Ours is not a delivery problem; ours is a bar on sending. Ours is not just that it is too difficu...

The frustrations that the hon. and learned Member is talking about are surely a good argument for...

This Bill is prospective in its tone and purpose. It is about going forward. It is about solving ...

Will the hon. and learned Gentleman give way?

No, I will finish my point. That is the fundamental issue here. We also had it on the legacy Bill...

I thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for giving way. I hope he will recognise that it is not la...

Order. I remind Members that it is up to the Member who is on their feet whether they want to acc...

I have been very generous in giving way. In a way I am not assisting my cause, because I know Gov...

Will the hon. and learned Gentleman give way?

No, I am going to make some progress.

I strongly refute the fallacy that to depart from the...

On this particular point, it is worth pointing out that the EU already does it. In its agreements...

I absolutely agree. The fascinating point is the very concept was articulated from and originated...

During the early stages of the negotiations, the permanent secretary of the then Brexit Departmen...

I fear that there is a lot of truth in that. As I say, the politics took over. A further truth is...

Shame on you!

The hon. Member may object from a sedentary position, but the challenge for her is whether her na...

rose—

I will give way to the hon. Member in a moment, because I have mentioned her.

How can the h...

If the hon. and learned Member wants to talk about constitutional change, perhaps he might set ou...

I acknowledge the hon. Member’s speech, but let me say this: it is no stunt to ask, on behalf of ...

Will the hon. and learned Member give way?

I will when I have dealt with some other points.

That is an assault upon the sincerity and ...

Several years ago, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson told us that there was an oven-ready deal....

I remind the Minister that the magical thinking came from the EU itself, through Jonathan Faull a...

It may be helpful to remind the Minister that the EU’s own expert, Mr Lars Karlsson, said in his ...

That is absolutely right, and in Northern Ireland we suffer the consequences of those aggressive ...

The hon. and learned Gentleman has already outlined that there are 300 tightly bound areas where ...

I only wish that the laws for Northern Ireland were made in this Parliament, or in our devolved i...

I note that the hon. and learned Gentleman failed to answer the question from my hon. Friend the ...

If the deal was reached under false pretences—if it was reached in breach of international law, b...

Is it not the hon. and learned Member’s position that Brexit does not require cross-community con...

Brexit was a national vote, decided for better or for worse on a national basis. The people of Lo...

I thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for introducing this Bill, and I acknowledge his recogniti...

The late Lord Trimble was absolutely right about that. What is happening on Tuesday is an invitat...

The hon. and learned Member talks about the Good Friday agreement. Why does his Bill not guarante...

My Bill is about seeking to restore democracy to the arrangements. That is why I want to take bac...

The hon. and learned Member might not have supported the Good Friday agreement but does he not ac...

The core operating principle of the devolved institutions of Northern Ireland was that key issues...

Will the hon. and learned Member give way?

I would rather give way to the Minister on that issue, but I hear no answer.

The House has ...

May I say that it is a delight to see you in the Chair, Madam Deputy Speaker? I thank the hon. an...

I am listening to my hon. Friend’s speech with interest. Does he agree that his contribution show...

My hon. Friend is right. Many of us here today want to discuss this issue because it is crucial t...

The hon. Member has recited what some might have thought were erudite contributions in support of...

I do not quite understand the hon. and learned Member’s point. Today, we are trying to tease out ...

Importantly, this House was charged, along with the Irish Government, to uphold the Good Friday a...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I would be the first to admit that we do not always get these...

The hon. Member has quoted some of the comments that were made in this House, but does he accept ...

I understand the right hon. Gentleman’s comments, and I am not going to challenge the integrity o...

How else would the hon. Member describe a scenario in which a huge quota of laws are made in a fo...

I will touch on that a little later.

I wish I could understand—perhaps my hon. Friend can help me out with this. If, on the one hand, ...

My hon. Friend makes a good point. At the end of the day, whether the hon. and learned Member for...

Does the hon. Gentleman accept that one consequence is that we have a United Kingdom in part of w...

I think the fact that the hon. Gentleman used the word “intractable” gives us a clue about how ch...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the Bill undermines not only the UK’s adherence to the Windsor fra...

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. We have to be very careful of the law of unintended cons...

It would be dangerous.

Precisely—my hon. Friend on the Front Bench says it would be dangerous, and it would be. What abo...

Is the Belfast agreement not an international treaty subject to international law? Is it okay to ...

The bottom line, in my view and that of many other people, is that it has not been breached. I co...

North-south co-operation between institutions in Northern Ireland was a vital component of the Go...

That is a really good point, and I am pleased we are having this debate, because these are the po...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I will, but I first want to make a point about the hon. and learned Member for North Antrim. I kn...

The hon. Gentleman mentioned the 3% of EU laws that we have to obey. Would the hon. Member like h...

The framework attempts to do that, and there is nothing, I suspect, that prevents those issues be...

rose—

rose—

I will give way first to the hon. Member for South Antrim (Robin Swann) and then to the hon. Memb...

I thank the hon. Member for making that point. It looks like I will not get to make a speech, but...

As far as I am aware, the framework attempts to tackle some of those issues. I completely accept ...

I thank the hon. Member for his contribution. I want to give the point of view of my constituent,...

As I understand it, that issue is being negotiated. I understand what the hon. Gentleman says, bu...

I know that the hon. Member and others on the Government Benches have tried to make light of the ...

In this place, we are enabled to ask these questions in a whole variety of different ways, includ...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech, especially on the language we use. In my maiden speec...

This House often debates the most challenging and sensitive matters. In this Chamber last Friday,...

Does the hon. Member not accept that a fundamental element of the jurisprudence of international ...

I do not want to go down that particular rabbit hole, but I will say this. We have the sovereign ...

What the hon. Member seems to be saying is that if the United Kingdom decides to acquiesce in—ind...

I do not think it is a humiliating concession, but if it is a concession at all, I think it is an...

I very much like the image of the law of unintended consequences poking its head around the door....

That is a perfectly valid point. Clearly, the hon. Gentleman has had a sneak preview of the point...

I take my hon. Friend back to his point about abrogating treaties, which is the modus operandi of...

It is a fair point. The question we have to ask ourselves is this: if we agree to the Bill, are w...

Does the hon. Member think that there is such a thing as breach of trust when it comes to relatio...

My stance is that if a person does not trust me in a democratic environment, they are perfectly e...

Many of us are passionate about equal rights; that is why we have concerns about this legislation...

My hon. Friend is right. I reject the Bill as respectfully as I can. Countries have to operate in...

Does the hon. Member not accept that trust in the United Kingdom is important? The Belfast agreem...

As my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Fleur Anderson) says from a sedentary position, the fram...

Members on the Opposition Benches have talked a lot about cross-community support. The hon. and l...

My hon. Friend may be in a much better position to say, but I suspect that this is the place wher...

I am impressed by my hon. Friend’s knowledge of the classics. He makes an important point, becaus...

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point: treaties are renegotiated all the time. Yes, that can be...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

The question we have to ask ourselves is whether the Bill before us is a breach of a treaty or ag...

Everyone in this House respects the hon. Gentleman for his honesty, and for the way he has stood ...

I regret that the hon. Gentleman takes that view of what I am saying. I would not say it is not f...

In pursuit of the hon. Member’s filibuster, he tells us how much he adheres to international law....

No, I disagree. If I am being honest, I think that view is predicated on a fallacy. I do not want...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech and it is one that he and I have lived and breathed as...

My hon. Friend makes a really important and fair point. We have to be very careful in this area w...

The hon. Member mentions whether the other side has ever broken the treaty. Of course it did: the...

I understand the right hon. Gentleman’s position, but again, I disagree with his assertion.

Will the hon. Member give way?

Just a moment. If the right hon. Gentleman wishes to call a Westminster Hall debate in relation t...

Will the hon. Member give way?

I am coming to a close, but I will give way. I have found this subject to be crucial to the wider...

It is not that I am unhappy, and I applaud the hon. Member for the tone he has brought to the deb...

I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s intervention. I was going to quote from the Belfast agreem...

I will respond in, hopefully, the same tone and say that it is a pleasure to follow the hon. Memb...

The right hon. Gentleman is addressing an important part of the Bill’s purpose—from all the rheto...

I agree with the right hon. Gentleman, and I am grateful to him for co-sponsoring the Bill and be...

Let me quote someone from a small business that relies on supplies from Etsy. They say:

“I ...

That is a fair point, and illustrates the requirement to honour the agreement—supported by the Mi...

rose—

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

I will not give way to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Dr Gardner), because I am giving...

The right hon. Gentleman actually knows that I have a lot of sympathy for his frustrations, becau...

I will not respond to the hon. Lady’s last line; I will leave it to others to determine. She and ...

My right hon. Friend says that even when solutions are found, they are not implemented. We have h...

My right hon. Friend is entirely correct. What have we achieved over the last five years? A game,...

rose—

I hope, if I agree to allow the hon. Member for Walthamstow to intervene once more, and once more...

The right hon. Gentleman is right. He and I may disagree about how to resolve it though, which is...

Our judiciary are independent from the Government as well, as she knows. At first instance, in th...

I was agreeing with the right hon. Member that the trade rules have nothing to do with the past. ...

I regard the hon. Lady as well, as she knows. She has made that point now on two occasions, and s...

I have been listening carefully to the right hon. Member. I came here today because of the harm t...

This Bill does not take us back. If we are interested in building trust and resetting our relatio...

If the Bill is talked out, as seems almost inevitable given the attitude of Labour Members, the P...

I agree wholeheartedly with my hon. Friend.

I want to give the hon. Member for Cities of Lo...

Does my right hon. Friend not find it even stranger that for products moving from the Republic of...

My right hon. Friend is right. That is where it becomes thoroughly obnoxious for people in Northe...

I commend the hon. and learned Member for North Antrim (Jim Allister) for his Bill. It is disappo...

Order. I think the hon. Lady has made her point. I call Gavin Robinson.

I acknowledge the position that my hon. Friend outlines in her contribution. I wish it was not th...

I do not intend to speak long; that will allow others to get in, but it is primarily because we h...

It appears that the hon. Member has not been listening. The whole focus of my speech was on how w...

Of course I was listening. I do listen, and as the hon. and learned Member said, I try to find co...

Order.

I will tell the hon. and learned Member for North Antrim that our constituents elect us not to mi...

“Him”, not “you”. I call Sir Iain Duncan Smith.

1.14 pm

I will try to be as brief as possible, to allow others to speak.

I wish to come to what the...

On this mythical hard border, does the right hon. Gentleman agree that it would be impossible to ...

The real point is getting rid of the Irish sea checks; it is anathema that one part of the United...

Given the right hon. Member’s experience of international affairs, what does he think are the pro...

I thought the hon. and learned Member might tempt me down that road. Whether we have a trade deal...

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to speak in this debate. I also thank the hon. a...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

I am afraid that the hon. and learned Member has had sufficient time to speak today.

The Bi...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful point about trade. Does she agree that the ripple effects fro...

My hon. Friend makes a good point. I am focusing on businesses in Northern Ireland, many of which...

The hon. Member talks about undermining the delicate political balance. We were told that that wa...

Let us look at the intent behind the existing democratic consent mechanism. The Windsor framework...

The hon. Member is countering what she said earlier about having read the Good Friday agreement. ...

We disagree on that point, but I reiterate that I have read the Good Friday agreement from cover ...

I call the shadow Minister.

1.45 pm

I am very glad that the hon. Lady has had an opportunity to make that point.

As I have said...

Let me begin by expressing thanks to all those who have contributed to this debate