EU Exit Negotiations

Rishi Sunak Excerpts

Tuesday 17th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

The hon. Lady is entirely right. It is important to the Republic of Ireland not only because it intends to maintain the peace process and an invisible border, but because the direct interests of the Republic of Ireland are in maintaining a very good trading relationship with the UK. I think the trade between us is worth around £1 billion a week, so the Republic of Ireland would not want to see that handicapped.

[Rishi Sunak (Richmond (Yorks)) (Con)]

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the Government will initiate the implementation phase only if our final relationship with our European allies has been agreed, at least in principle, so that what is meant to be a transitory state of affairs does not become a permanent bridge to nowhere?

Oral Answers to Questions

Rishi Sunak Excerpts

Thursday 9th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jones]

Although we will not continue to be a member of the single market, as I indicated previously we are looking to achieve a very good free trade agreement with the continuing European Union, which would be very much to the mutual benefit of the UK and the European Union.

[Rishi Sunak (Richmond (Yorks)) (Con)]

As my right hon. Friend considers the customs union, may I urge him to look at the experience of close trading partners around the world? The US and Canada trade half a trillion dollars of goods annually, Norway does 70% of its trade with the EU, and China buys 30% of Australia’s exports; none of them has seen fit to form customs unions with each other.

Exiting the EU: New Partnership

Rishi Sunak Excerpts

Thursday 2nd February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

As the great repeal Bill will pass through European law—the acquis communautaire—in its original wording, it might refer to European institutions when it should refer to British institutions. For example, it might say that local government has to publish its procurement contracts in the Official Journal of the European Union, which would no longer be appropriate—it would be more appropriate to publish them on the Government website. Secondary legislation will be principally aimed at such technical concerns. Major areas of policy change will primarily be addressed in primary legislation, which is why we cited those two examples.

[Rishi Sunak (Richmond (Yorks)) (Con)]

I very much welcome my right hon. Friend’s constructive approach. In that light, I draw his attention to a report by the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, which highlighted European businesses’ financial reliance on the City, expressed concern if that access were to be disrupted and urged negotiators to approach the issue in a constructive and open fashion.

[Mr Davis]

And we fully intend to do so, as we think it is in the interests of both ourselves and the European Union, because we do not want anything that causes instability in the eurozone, any more than we want anything that damages the City.

Parliamentary Scrutiny of Leaving the EU

Rishi Sunak Excerpts

Wednesday 12th October 2016 Commons Chamber

[Keir Starmer]

I would happily swap places with the Secretary of State and play a part in the negotiations, but we are not in government—

[Rishi Sunak (Richmond (Yorks)) (Con)]

rose—

[Keir Starmer]

I will answer the first intervention, please.

We are not in government and our manifesto did not have a referendum without a plan for exit. We need to be clear at the beginning of this exercise where responsibility for the position in which we find ourselves lies. It lies with a previous Prime Minister and a Government who had no plan for a no vote. That is why we are here today.

[Rishi Sunak]

rose—

[Sir William Cash (Stone) (Con)]

rose—

[Keir Starmer]

I can only give way to one person at a time.

[Rishi Sunak]

The hon. and learned Gentleman mentioned the terms of our exit and also national interest. I come from a business background, and I would love to get a sense of his approach to a successful negotiation. Does he believe that the national interest would be best served by the Government coming to this place and explaining in precise detail all their negotiating positions before we have even walked into the room?

[Keir Starmer]

I will deal with that, because that is an essential question that we need to discuss. In a sense, this should not be about point scoring across the House.