European Union (Withdrawal) Act

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Mark Pritchard

Tuesday 12th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

If Members will bear with me, I will take a further couple of interventions and then try to make some progress, as I am only two pages into my speech.

[Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con)]

The Prime Minister will know that I did not support the withdrawal agreement at the last vote, and today I will support it unenthusiastically—forgive me, Prime Minister—because I completely agree with her that there is a danger that Brexit will be lost. There do not appear to be the votes in this House for no deal, but there certainly seem to be the votes for an extension of article 50. Neither of those options would deliver Brexit; they would frustrate and delay it and possibly stop it altogether. The main reason I am supporting the Government tonight is that there has been a definitive, material legal change on the backstop, which is that if the European Union acts in bad faith, the UK can permanently or temporarily remove itself.

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I will come on to address that point a little later in my speech, but it is very clear. We have already had a vote in this House that said no to no deal, and those who want genuinely to deliver Brexit need to recognise that if this deal does not go through tonight, the House risks no Brexit at all.

Leaving the EU

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Mark Pritchard

Monday 26th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave earlier.

[Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con)]

Despite the Prime Minister’s honourable and good intentions, is it not an indisputable fact, irrespective of whether colleagues voted remain or leave, that the political declaration is not legally binding and the withdrawal agreement is legally binding?

[The Prime Minister]

Yes. My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The withdrawal agreement is legally binding. The political declaration is not a legal text, because the European Union cannot sign a legal text in relation to trade matters with a country that is a member of the European Union. It can only do that when we are outside the European Union.