My guess is that if we had left the EU, the rest of the EU would not necessarily regard us as a country to which it owed any favours, to put it mildly. Presumably we could appeal to the United Nations, but given the problems we have had in the so-called Special Committee on Decolonisation in the UN over the years, and the way in which countries such as Argentina have behaved with regard to other British overseas territories, we would be in a difficult position. The people of Gibraltar would be in a very difficult position, because if they wished to stay in the European Union, they would presumably have to find some way of getting Spain to sponsor their membership of the EU. Britain would have deserted and betrayed them.
European Union (Referendum) Bill
Proceeding contribution from
Mike Gapes
(Labour)
in the House of Commons on Friday, 8 November 2013.
It occurred during Debate on bills on European Union (Referendum) Bill.
About this proceeding contribution
Reference
570 c550 Session
2013-14Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamberSubjects
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2021-11-04 16:44:08 +0000
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