European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

Michael Gove Excerpts

Tuesday 29th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Jeremy Corbyn]

So far, the Prime Minister has only doubled down on her own defeated deal, saying at last week’s Prime Minister’s Question Time that her deal delivers

“the benefits of a customs union and the benefits of our own trade policy.”—[Official Report, 23 January 2019; Vol. 653, c. 237.]

It does no such thing. The political declaration fails to deliver on the Chequers promise of frictionless trade—it does not even guarantee tariff-free trade. It means that we lose the 40 to 50 trade agreements we have through the EU.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Michael Gove)]

Why is the right hon. Gentleman scared to take an intervention from the hon. Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Angela Smith), a member of the Labour party for 37 years?

[Jeremy Corbyn]

I thank the Minister for his intervention and his brief statement of his leadership intentions.

As I was saying—[Interruption.]