The Government's Plan for Brexit

Debate between Mike Gapes and Oliver Letwin

Wednesday 7th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mike Gapes (Ilford South) (Lab/Co-op)]

Why is it, then, that the European Parliament can be involved in this process, but this sovereign Parliament, because of the problems that the Government have created for themselves, cannot have any say? That is a democratic outrage.

[Sir Oliver Letwin]

The reason is that the European Parliament is one of the counterparties to the negotiation. The counterparty in our case is the Government of the United Kingdom. We have had a referendum. The Government have to be able to carry through the effect of that referendum, and the plain choice we face is whether or not to constrain the Government. My argument is that, if we constrain the Government, we will end up with a worse result from the point of view of people such as me who were part of the 48%.