European Council 2016 Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

European Council 2016

Richard Graham Excerpts
Monday 19th December 2016

(7 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait The Prime Minister
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My hon. Friend makes an important point. That is precisely why I indicated in October that we would trigger article 50 by the end of March to give people some certainty about the timetable. He is also absolutely right that we need the maximum flexibility thereafter in order to ensure that we can meet business needs and the needs of the UK generally.

Richard Graham Portrait Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con)
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The Prime Minister’s approach is absolutely right, especially for constituents whose jobs depend on trade and investment, and students or residents from the European Union, who want us to focus on the key ingredients of success. Does she agree that her pragmatic focus on outcomes is much more likely to unify the country than some political parties’ determination to define Brexit as a boiled egg, whether soft or hard?

Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait The Prime Minister
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I agree with my hon. Friend. I think that the British people want us to get on with it—to do the deal and get a good deal for the United Kingdom, and that is exactly what we want to do.