Extracts from Lords debate on the European Union (Withdrawal) Act - Dec 6
Friday, 7 December 2018 07:45
Lord Robathan (Con):...My fourth point is about the deal itself. We
have heard about the backstop, and I shall not go into it. I am not
quite sure what Macron thinks he can get on fishing or what
the Spanish think they can get on Gibraltar, but it certainly
is not all signed, sealed and delivered. It relies on the “good
faith” and “best endeavours” of our partners. I am afraid those two
terms butter no parsnips, to mix metaphors. We throw ourselves on
the good will of the...Request free
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(Con):...My
fourth point is about the deal itself. We have heard about the
backstop, and I shall not go into it. I am not quite sure what
Macron thinks he can get on fishing or what the Spanish think
they can get on Gibraltar, but it certainly is not all signed,
sealed and delivered. It relies on the “good faith” and “best
endeavours” of our partners. I am afraid those two terms butter no
parsnips, to mix metaphors. We throw ourselves on the good will of
the Commission. I regret to say that Juncker and Barnier seem to
have shown remarkably little good will towards us so far...
(Con):...I long to
be out of the EU, but not on the terms of this withdrawal
agreement. We hand over £39 billion and in return get the prospect
of being locked into a relationship with the EU via the backstop,
which we can neither influence nor escape from. If there had been
any doubt about the legal effect of the agreement, the advice of
the Attorney-General released yesterday was devastatingly clear.
The Financial Times has reported
that neutralising British leverage was one of the main reasons the
EU insisted on the binding backstop, and that the Commission
believed that it would locate the balance of power with the EU in
all later negotiations. I believe that is the correct analysis. We
will enter the backstop at the will of the EU and we will stay
there until the EU consents to let us go. If we are allowed to go,
we will undoubtedly pay a price—and it probably will not stop at
fishing rights and Gibraltar. We will have taken back control
of very little...
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