Prime Minister's Update

Debate between Boris Johnson and Thangam Debbonaire

Wednesday 25th September 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend has spoken for Cheltenham and he is completely right. The people of this country want to see us coming together, agreeing on a way forward, getting Brexit done and then getting on with a dynamic one nation Conservative agenda, and that is what we are going to do.

[Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)]

In the last two hours and seven minutes, the Prime Minister has mocked us, belittled us, told us that it is his way or nothing, and used language that he knows incites fear. He has patronised us, shown disregard for the law and has tried to make us feel that our views have no value when we are trying to represent our constituents. He has done all of this over the most important matter of our times, at a time of national crisis. I am not asking him to apologise to us, although I think he should. I am asking him to apologise to my constituents, who did not want us to be prorogued in the first place and who the Supreme Court yesterday said it agreed with. Will the Prime Minister apologise to the people of Bristol West and start taking this House seriously?

[The Prime Minister]

I certainly do take this House exceptionally seriously. Our constituents—all of them, across the whole country—actually feel that their opinions are being undervalued because they expressed an opinion three years ago and this House, in spite of countless promises, has failed to implement that opinion. I suggest that the best thing is to get on and do it.

Iran Nuclear Deal

Debate between Boris Johnson and Thangam Debbonaire

Wednesday 9th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Boris Johnson]

Mr Amano has told me that the IAEA is getting all the access it needs. Indeed Mike Pompeo, the head of US intelligence, has confirmed that Iran is now in compliance with the JCPOA.

[Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)]

The Foreign Secretary said that he has no difficulty with President Trump’s goal of working with our allies to find a real, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear threat. The Foreign Secretary then asked how the US proposes to achieve that. What suggestions does he have for the United States President?

[Boris Johnson]

I thought that we made a series of very fruitful suggestions, and we will continue to make such suggestions. The central idea is that, around the core of the JCPOA, we build a superstructure—a follow-on agreement—that addresses the problems of the sunset clauses and the issues of the ICBMs, and satisfies the anxieties of the President and of many colleagues in the House today.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Boris Johnson and Thangam Debbonaire

Tuesday 27th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)]

Will the matter of refugees and the global refugee crisis be on the agenda for next month’s Commonwealth meeting?

[Boris Johnson]

We will of course discuss refugees and the refugee crisis.

Syria: De-escalation Zones

Debate between Boris Johnson and Thangam Debbonaire

Monday 26th February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Boris Johnson]

I will, of course, make sure that the views of the House are communicated to the Prime Minister. I can tell the hon. Lady that the Prime Minister has regular contact with her Russian counterpart and has repeatedly made that point.

[Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)]

Given the slaughter in eastern Ghouta, and given the regret expressed on both sides of the House, including by the Foreign Secretary, does he not agree that the time is long overdue that we urgently review how this House makes different sorts of decisions about intervention and about what sorts of intervention to take?

[Boris Johnson]

If the hon. Lady is saying that she would like the right to approve such interventions to be once again taken back by the Executive and not necessarily to be a matter for the House of Commons, that is a very interesting point of view.