EU Exit Negotiations

Richard Graham Excerpts

Monday 13th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

My hon. Friend goes right to the point. There are three reasons for the transition: one is for the British Government to be able to accommodate and another is so that foreign Governments can accommodate; but, as he says, the most important is to allow British businesses to accommodate in the knowledge of what they are accommodating to.

[Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con)]

Every individual and organisation that the Select Committee saw in Brussels and Paris last week stressed that their absolute priority is people and citizens’ rights. Does my right hon. Friend therefore agree that when an agreement on citizens’ rights is reached, it should be announced and committed to in perpetuity by both sides to help 4.5 million citizens to get on with their lives? Does he agree that not to do so would raise the question of who is really putting people first?

[Mr Davis]

My hon. Friend makes a very good point. Sadly, the phrase used earlier by my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Mr Wragg)—nothing is agreed until everything is agreed—is the primary maxim of the European Commission.