European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill

I personally agree totally with anything that increases the sovereignty of parliament. I only make the point that this is totally unnecessary, because if we got on with this Bill, we would end up having a much more sovereign parliament than we would have without it. That is the whole purpose of what I am saying. Indeed, it is necessary that we should have greater sovereignty because the powers of parliament have been eroded ever since the Maastricht treaty, with which I was associated. That has been something that has been going on for some time—ever since there was a single currency. The powers of parliaments have been reduced because the single currency is irrevocable, and we have a system in this country whereby no parliament can bind another parliament. There is no doubt in my mind, at least, that had we not started the process of leaving the European Union, the European court, which the noble Lord will know a lot about, would have moved in on us for not joining the single currency at some point. There is no question in my mind about that.