Summary

  • MPs continued debating the government's Brexit deal, ahead of vote next Tuesday

  • Thursday's debate focused on the economic impact of the agreement

  • Commons business began with questions to Brexit ministers

  • House of Lords also debated the Brexit deal this afternoon

  1. 'People voted to leave so they were not ruled by the EU'published at 15:58 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord RobathanImage source, HoL

    Tory Lord Robathan says all referendums are "a shocking idea", but everyone agreed to hold one on whether to remain the EU.

    "We promised [the people] that they would make the decision."

    Now those that didn't like the result want another one, he says, asking: "have they taken leave of their senses?"

    "In this unelected and unaccountable House - where some people do not still seem very self-aware - I still say trust the people."

    He says he cannot support the deal, which will "hammer" the UK: "We all want to have good relations with our neighbours...but people voted to leave so they were not ruled by the EU."

    "If our so-called friends will not behave sensibly, we should leave and trade on global terms."

  2. May 'looking at MPs' role over backstop'published at 15:57 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Theresa May tells the BBC she is "talking to colleagues" about their concerns over her Brexit deal.

    Read More
  3. Former diplomat: British 'introspection' since Brexit vote very worryingpublished at 15:57 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Crossbench peer and former diplomat Lord Ricketts says the "introspection" and neglect of wider European issues since the Brexit vote is "very worrying".

    Participation in the EU has been a great success, he says, pointing out that Britain campaigned for the single market and pushed through enlargement, stabilising Europe after the Cold War.

    Yet no PM since Ted Heath has been willing to tell the British people of the benefits of the EU, he says.

    The deal on offer is very different to what was offered, he adds, and democracy means people can change their mind - "it is no disrespect to the electorate to go back to them."

  4. Labour MP: Too much is still uncertainpublished at 15:56 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour MP Janet DabyImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Janet Daby says "too much is still uncertain", with government analysis suggesting that the deal will make the country poorer.

    She expresses her disappointment that the prime minister has dropped achieving friction-less trade as a priority.

    Under the future declaration, she says the service sector's market access will be limited, whilst financial services are offered no "firm mechanism" to protect industry.

    "I cannot vote for anything that will make our country poorer", she concludes.

  5. EU has benefits for small communities says Lib Dempublished at 15:53 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Liberal Democrat, Alistair CarmichaelImage source, HoC

    Liberal Democrat Alistair Carmichael says for communities with small populations, such as his constituency, membership of the EU has given them opportunities to grow.

    EU structural funds have been "guaranteed money" for roads, piers and airports, he says, whilst a guaranteed system of agricultural support payments allowed farmers to continue to farm the land.

    The single market has allowed his constituency to grow new industries, he adds, whilst tourism has "blossomed". There has been a bigger reliance on an EU workforce.

    It aggrieves him "beyond measure" that he risks passing on less opportunity to his children.

  6. United Kingdom would be a 'client state' under the backstoppublished at 15:50 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative MP, David JonesImage source, HoC

    David Jones says the decision of the Brexit debate will determine whether the "United Kingdom takes its place in the world as a free and independent nation once again, or whether it becomes the fragmented client of a foreign power."

    Members of Parliament have an "absolute duty to restore British sovereignty", the Conservative MP says.

    He cannot support the withdrawal agreement because he believes "there is every incentive for the European Union to keep the United Kingdom in the backstop."

    "We would effectively become a client state", he says, whilst Northern Ireland would be a "colony" of the European Union.

  7. Lloyd quits Lib Dem MPs' group over Brexitpublished at 15:41 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Eastbourne MP Stephen Lloyd will defy party orders and vote in favour of Theresa May's Brexit deal.

    Read More
  8. Concessions 'pocketed with nothing in return'published at 15:16 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative MP John BarronImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP John Baron says that British concessions during the negotiations have been "pocketed with nothing in return".

    He says that he can "stomach" a transition period as it has a definite end, but finds the proposed backstop more "difficult".

    "It's like entering a contract of employment which only gives the employer the right to terminate the contract", he adds.

    He says he has signed an amendment to the government's motion to approve the deal, which he says would give the UK a "unilateral right to exit the backstop".

  9. Labour peer: Referendum 'shelf life' has expiredpublished at 15:04 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Baroness GoudieImage source, HoL

    Labour peer Baroness Goudie says the UK should remain in the EU as a "full and voting member".

    She says this is not only "the right thing to do", but also "increasingly the public will".

    "We should all be entitled to change our minds", Baroness Goudie says, telling peers that the "shelf life" of the referendum in 2016 "has expired".

  10. Green: Brexit deal 'needs to aim at uniting the country'published at 14:55 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Damian Green, Conservative MPImage source, HoC

    Former Cabinet Office Minister Damian Green says those who favoured leaving the EU "need to see that they have won".

    But he says the "settlement of that win" should "aim at uniting the country".

    Mr Green says he supports Theresa May's deal and says the negotiations have been "extremely successful".

    He calls the transition period "very sensible" and "essential".

  11. Lib Dem MP resigns party whippublished at 14:50 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

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  12. DUP peer: All parts of UK 'must leave together'published at 14:48 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord McCreaImage source, HoL

    DUP peer Lord McCrea says the government's deal "does not represent a good deal for Northern Ireland".

    It would be "unacceptable", he says, to accept an agreement that "enshrines the possibility of the backstop without the ability to exit it".

    "All parts of the UK must leave the EU together, and Northern Ireland must not be held to EU regulations" he adds.

    "Democratically and for the Union, that is not acceptable."

  13. Labour MP: Impossible to 'disentangle' UK from EU in two yearspublished at 14:45 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Chair of the Public Accounts Committee Meg HillierImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Meg Hillier, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee, accuses David Davis of having "walked away from the challenge".

    It was "always practically impossible to disentangle" the UK from the EU in two years, Ms Hillier says.

    She that adds the civil service has been "hampered" by planning for three different scenarios.

    "This approach has been costly and confusing", she adds.

  14. Tory peer: 'Now about which option causes least damage'published at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord HaselhurstImage source, HoL

    Conservative peer Lord Haselhurst says "bulldog sentiment will not achieve trade deals" and that the government "must get down to detail".

    "I am a disappointed Remainer," he says, "and anything other than staying in the EU is going to be less satisfactory, but it's now about which option causes the least damage".

    Lord Haselhurst says he hopes discussions in future can be conducted more productively "and without the inflammatory language about immigration".

  15. Economic historians will view Brexit as 'small', says Davispublished at 14:31 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Former Brexit Secretary David DavisImage source, HoC

    Former Brexit Secretary David Davis says when economic historians look back in a hundred years, they will view the impact of Brexit as "small" by comparison to changes in global trade.

    Mr Davis says in the last third of the century has seen a "huge transformation" internationally because of global trade, lifting people out of poverty.

    "The aggregate picture is very clear: our trading future is actually more in the rest of the world than it is in Europe", he says.

    This is "massively underestimated" by both Treasury and Bank of England forecasts, he says.

  16. SNP: Ending free movement 'economically damaging'published at 14:21 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Stewart HosieImage source, HoC

    SNP MP Stewart Hosie says "it is time to stop pretending that ending free movement is a good thing", when actually it will prove "economically damaging".

    Mr Hosie says there would need to be a "massive increase" in trade with other countries to replace lost trade with the European Union.

    "We'd love to see that happen", he says, but suggests it would be "highly unlikely".

  17. Tory MP: Deal gives something to all sidespublished at 13:54 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sir Nicholas SoamesImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP Sir Nicholas Soames says he thinks the decision to leave the EU "will be one of the biggest mistakes that this country will regret".

    However he says MPs must "support the wish of the people".

    Rejecting the deal would "create damaging economic uncertainty", he says - adding that if it is defeated by Parliament, "no other deal is going to miraculously appear".

    He says the agreement "is not a perfect deal, but gives all sides something".

    It would be a "fatal mistake", he adds, to "let the search for a perfect Brexit prevent a good Brexit".

  18. EU 'will see the need for re-negotiation' - McDonnellpublished at 13:46 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    Brexit Withdrawal Agreement debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    John McDonnellImage source, HoC

    John McDonnell says the government either doesn't know, or "doesn't want us to know" the economic impact of staying in the Irish backstop arrangement indefinitely.

    The EU, he says, will have seen the deal it has negotiated with the UK does not have the support it requires among MPs or the country.

    "I believe they will see the need now for constructive re-negotiation, if both their own and our economic interests are to be protected in the long-term", he says.

    "If a bad Brexit is forced upon our country by the government, the country will suffer for many years", he tells MPs.

    "The prime minister's deal does not protect the economy, and has to be rejected".

  19. Deal 'that satisfies no one' could be best option, says peerpublished at 13:33 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord Brown of Eaton-Under-HaywoodImage source, HoL

    Crossbench peer Lord Brown of Eaton-Under-Haywood says the government's Brexit deal is "as good as any we could now hope to achieve".

    The "very fact it satisfies no one" seems to be a plus, he says.

    "Everybody loses a little, and there are no winners."

    As a result, he adds, the deal gives the best chances of healing the divisions "of the present nightmare".

  20. Hain: EU membership 'best solution' to Irish border issuepublished at 13:29 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December 2018

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord HainImage source, HoL

    Former Labour Northern Ireland secretary Lord Hain says the best solution to the Irish border issue would be simply to stay in the EU.

    The problem for Brexiteers - including those in the DUP - was that they never had a plan for any alternative to membership, and they still don't, he adds.

    The government's deal "just postpones the crunch", he says. He calls on Parliament to back a further EU referendum.

    This would allow the British people - including the 12.3m that didn't vote in 2016 - to "reject this utter mess" and let the country "again be a leading member of the European Union", he adds.