National Security Council Leak

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Thursday 2nd May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lidington]

The hon. Gentleman mixes up a number of matters. The Attorney General’s consent is required to a prosecution under the Official Secrets Act, but the Attorney General has no power to initiate an investigation or a prosecution. The hon. Gentleman is also continuing to confuse two points. What we are dealing with—this is at the heart of the issue and the decision before the Prime Minister yesterday evening—is not so much the substance of what has been disclosed as the fact that the leak was of proceedings of the National Security Council. Therefore, whether or not the various harm tests under the Official Secrets Act were met in this particular case, the Prime Minister reached the decision that, regrettably, she no longer had confidence in my right hon. Friend the Member for South Staffordshire. That was why she reached that decision in her assessment of the public interest.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

The right hon. Member for New Forest West looks as though he is about to start to sprint. I think that he must be heard.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Outside this House, a right hon. Member is being called a liar, and inside this House, a number of Members have implied as much. Natural justice demands that the evidence be produced so that his reputation can be salvaged or utterly destroyed, doesn’t it?

[Mr Lidington]

I have, I think, taken great care in the language that I have used in the House today, and I am not in the business of going around making allegations of the kind that have apparently been made outside the House. The fact is, however, that having read the investigation report, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister reached the conclusion that there was compelling evidence to suggest responsibility on the part of the former Secretary of State for Defence for the leak from the National Security Council, and that was why she took the decision that she did

European Council

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Thursday 11th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

No, it is not because I am concerned about what the result of such a vote would be; it is because I believe that, having given the decision to the British people on whether we should leave the European Union, it is the duty of this House to deliver on that.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Is not it abundantly clear that anyone who believes that a second referendum will bring the nation together was on another planet during the last one?

[The Prime Minister]

My right hon. Friend makes a very important point. I believe that a second referendum would be divisive, rather than healing.

Voter ID Pilots

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Wednesday 10th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

When I was first elected, I used to come and go from this Palace unchallenged. Now I am required to show ID even within its precincts—but is that a big deal?

[Chloe Smith]

I think my right hon. Friend makes the point, quite rightly, that we expect to show who we are in every walk of everyday life. It is quite fair enough that we do so at our workplace, and quite fair enough that we do so when we pick up a parcel from the post office, when we apply for benefits, or when we do many types of things that involve interacting with public services or just going about our everyday life. It is therefore right that we do that in our elections as well.

European Council

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Monday 25th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I have answered it on a number of occasions. I think that when I met the hon. Lady she indicated that she would want to see remain on the ballot paper as well as the deal. She is not asking for confirmation of the deal in relation to leaving the European Union; she is questioning people, by going back and saying, “We asked you the question and you gave us an answer, but actually we are not sure that is the right one. Have another go.”

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

If decisions and powers have to be taken here in order to remedy the current unreadiness of Northern Ireland, is there a plan to deal with that in good time for 12 April?

[The Prime Minister]

Yes.

Leaving the European Union

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 26th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am thinking precisely of the national interest when I sit down with the European Commission and other European Union leaders with a view to negotiating changes to the withdrawal agreement and the package we agreed, such that we can bring that back to this House and get agreement for a deal.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

So that I can prepare to realign myself to the metaphysical plane: what is my right hon. Friend’s estimate of the possibility of our leaving on time?

[The Prime Minister]

It is my estimation that it is within our grasp to get changes such that we can bring a deal back to this House to enable this House to confirm in a meaningful vote its intention to leave the European Union with a deal on 29 March.

Leaving the EU

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 12th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Lady may shake her head. There are elements of the political declaration that are still for debate, and I recognise that there will be rigorous debate on some of those elements. In short, we want to ensure that when we come to the end of the implementation period, we have that close economic and security relationship with the European Union.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

I hope that there is not a special place somewhere in particular for those of us who take a rather literal interpretation of the word “replace”.

[The Prime Minister]

My right hon. Friend has always held a special place in my estimation and, indeed, in that of Members across the House, and I would not suggest that he would be going to any other special place.

Leaving the European Union

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Monday 21st January 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

The position that I believe will be of great benefit to manufacturers and our economy is our having a good trading relationship with the EU and the freedom to negotiate those trade deals around the rest of the world, and that is what we have been working for.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

How is remaining in a customs union consistent with the decision of the British people to be no longer subject to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice?

[The Prime Minister]

My right hon. Friend raises an important issue. I believe one reason people voted to leave the EU was that they wanted to leave the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, and that is what we want to deliver.

Leaving the EU

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Monday 14th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Business is absolutely clear that the certainty it requires is the certainty that will be given by agreeing this deal.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

To guarantee Brexit, the Prime Minister should prorogue Parliament until April—tempting, isn’t it?

[The Prime Minister]

My right hon. Friend is trying to tempt me down a road that I do not think I should go down. Were Parliament to prorogue until April, I would be denied the opportunity to see my right hon. Friend and answer his questions on a regular basis, and that would be very sad.

European Council

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Monday 17th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I have made the point about listening to the House, which is why further discussions are taking place, and as I said in my statement, I am of course happy to speak with people in this House. I have been speaking with quite a few of my colleagues over the past couple of weeks, and I am happy to continue to speak with colleagues about how we can ensure that we deliver on the vote and that we deliver a good Brexit.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Should the Prime Minister’s recent experiences at the EU Council not serve as a powerful corrective to any illusion that we could have remained a member of it?

[The Prime Minister]

My right hon. Friend makes an interesting point. I suspect that what he saw actually fed into the concerns that many of the 17.4 million people had when they voted to leave.

Exiting the European Union

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Monday 10th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

What the country requires is for us to continue to work to get a good deal over the line, so we can deliver on Brexit in a way that honours the referendum, and protects jobs and livelihoods across the country. Further uncertainty and division will do nothing to help people who are looking to their futures.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Essential to any successful negotiator is the ability to walk away. The backstop takes that from us. How can the Prime Minister change that?

[The Prime Minister]

First, we are continuing with the no-deal preparations. As I said earlier, the Cabinet will meet to discuss those further. Secondly, in any circumstance we need to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. It is finding ways we can do that in a way that enables us to be free in a future relationship which is the best possible deal for this country. That is what we are looking for and striving to achieve.