UK’s Withdrawal from the European Union Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

UK’s Withdrawal from the European Union

Lord Swire Excerpts
Thursday 14th March 2019

(5 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Angus Brendan MacNeil Portrait Angus Brendan MacNeil
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I am hearing calls from Conservatives for an election. If there was an election, I wonder if those self-same Conservatives would accept it being fought on independence, and if the SNP were to win a majority of seats we would move to independence on that basis, as Margaret Thatcher said, even without a referendum.

Lord Swire Portrait Sir Hugo Swire (East Devon) (Con)
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On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Interesting and diverting though it is to listen to the internal wrangling of the Scottish independence argument, might it be possible to persuade the SNP spokesman to remember what this debate is meant to be about? [Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. Mr Newlands, calm yourself; you are usually an unassuming gentleman, but you seem to be getting quite carried away.

I accept the thrust of what the right hon. Member for East Devon (Sir Hugo Swire) has just said. Frankly, I think the criticism applies to Members on both sides; a certain tribalism is in danger of enveloping the House, but we must focus on the substance of the debate and there is not that long.