European Union (Referendum) Bill

David Morris Excerpts

Friday 5th July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hague]

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is tirelessly—now, in this Parliament, never mind in the next Parliament—going around Europe making sure this country gets what it needs. The Opposition do not have a policy to reform the EU, but we do and he is pursuing it. Labour never cut the EU budget, but he already has. Labour signed Britain up to eurozone bail-outs and he has got us out of them. Labour surrendered part of the rebate and he has never surrendered part of the rebate, so the right hon. Gentleman can rest assured that my right hon. Friend will be well equipped to go round Europe preserving our national interest.

[David Morris (Morecambe and Lunesdale) (Con)]

Looking at the maths in the House of Commons today, we have 30 Labour MPs and I have lost count of how many Conservatives there are. Is that not testament in itself to the fact that we trust the people of this country?

[Mr Hague]

I agree with my hon. Friend. The note circulated by Labour Whips—which has also come into my possession—said:

“We will be looking for suitable speakers so that the chamber is not completely empty”.

They need not have worried that the Chamber would be empty, because there are hundreds of us here, determined that the people will have their say.

I believe it would be right for the House to support this Bill today. It is the right Bill, at the right time, to give the British people their democratic right to have their say on this country’s future. We will do everything we can to make sure it becomes the law of the land, so that the people can decide, and in the next Parliament, the Prime Minister is determined that we will deliver on this commitment—a democratic commitment in a robustly democratic country.