Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Thursday 16th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Barclay]

I am sure my hon. Friend will agree with me that we have had a people’s vote. It was won in 2016 and that was reflected in the Labour party’s manifesto. Once again, we hear Labour Members saying one thing to the electorate when they face an election but doing another when they come to the House.

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

Merit implies virtue, and while there might be some expediency in it, there are certainly no virtues, are there?

[Stephen Barclay]

I do not think that any Member of this House thinks that my right hon. Friend is anything other than virtuous in all that he does. In our commitment to bring forward the withdrawal agreement Bill, we have listened to the concerns of Members across the House and have reflected that in the draft legislation that is being prepared. It will be for Members to reach a decision on that or one of the two other alternatives—either we risk not leaving at all, which I think would be a huge betrayal of the 17.4 million people who voted to leave, or we leave with no deal, which would create issues for the Union and the economic disruption that would flow.