Brexit: Role of Parliament

Debate between Lord Grocott and Lord Keen of Elie

Monday 18th July 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Keen of Elie]

The Government have established the Department for Exiting the European Union to form a view as to the basis on which we do exit the European Union.

[Lord Grocott (Lab)]

Like many others in this House, I had the pleasure of sitting through the whole Committee stage of the European Union Referendum Bill. As far as I can discover from Hansard, at no stage was it suggested that it was just an advisory referendum that was being established, much less that Governments subsequently would not need to take account of the decision made by the British people. Does the Minister agree with me that, with such authority having been given by Parliament to the British people and the British people having declared clearly their view on the specific question being asked, for either House, but, I must say, more specifically this House, of which I am very fond, to decide that it would in any substantial way—of course, one can look at the detail—thwart the decision of the British people would be a very unsatisfactory road down which to travel?

[Lord Keen of Elie]

It is not a road that this Government intend to go down.