European Union (Withdrawal) Act Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

European Union (Withdrawal) Act

Alison McGovern Excerpts
Monday 25th March 2019

(5 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Keir Starmer Portrait Keir Starmer
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If amendment (a) is passed tonight there will be an intense discussion about how the process will take place and what the options will be. When we see those options, the Labour party will take decisions about how to whip—[Interruption.] Let me complete the point. If one of the options is no deal, we will of course whip against it. If that is the outcome, we will reject it. Of course, we need to see the options.

Alison McGovern Portrait Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
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I am glad to hear my right hon. and learned Friend say that the Labour party will whip against no deal, because we are talking about my constituents’ jobs. Does he agree that these questions about the constitution are not new? By definition under our constitution the thing that wins votes in this House is the Government, and it was hardly Back-Benchers who broke that convention.

Keir Starmer Portrait Keir Starmer
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I agree with my hon. Friend. In a sense, we are in this place only because there is no other way to break the deadlock or the impasse.