European Union (Withdrawal) Bill Debate

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Department: Attorney General

European Union (Withdrawal) Bill

Liz Kendall Excerpts
Wednesday 13th June 2018

(6 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General
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My hon. Friend makes a powerful point about democracy. One of the complaints that was constantly levelled against our membership of the EU was the lack of democracy, and I am pretty sure that if we end up in the position of a rule taker, those arguments will only grow louder and longer.

Liz Kendall Portrait Liz Kendall (Leicester West) (Lab)
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Is it not the case that if we are no longer a member of the single market and we want full access to the single market, we will have to be a rule taker?

Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General
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Therein lies the problem with amendment (a) to Lords amendment 51, tabled by the Labour Front Benchers. What precisely does that amendment mean? Everybody should ponder that question, because I do not think that even they can answer it. The truth is that we are back to the old chestnut of access to the single market, and that in truth means subjection to the four freedoms.