Oral Answers to Questions

Clive Efford Excerpts

Thursday 16th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Walker]

If my hon. Friend had voted as the Secretary of State and I have voted, we would have left the EU already.

[Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)]

A YouGov poll published today indicates that a majority of people are not happy with the European Union and feel that it may break up in the next 20 years. There is also widespread concern about the political elite both at European and national levels. Does this not show that at some time in the near future, Europe is going to go through major reform, and is it not better for us to be there and be part of that reform? Should we not therefore now be considering, in the light of the fact that there is no majority here for no deal or for a second referendum, revoking article 50?

[Mr Walker]

I admire the hon. Gentleman’s honesty in setting out that his position is clearly to revoke article 50. These are arguments that were made before the referendum. We had a negotiation with the European Union, and we put that approach to the people in the referendum and said that they should decide. I think we should listen to their decision and follow it through.