European Union (Referendum) Bill

The hon. Gentleman must not keep repeating this idea that the Liberal Democrats are against refer...

I am pleased that the hon. Gentleman made that intervention, because it is clear to everyone, bot...

rose—

10.15 am

I will not give way. If the hon. Gentleman does not mind, I will continue. We need time for the P...

Obviously, the hon. Gentleman does not want to delay the House for too long, but could he define ...

From my point of view, there are no shortages of powers that need repatriating. Let us be clear—[...

I want to speak to amendments 68 and 70 and new schedule 2. Before we have a referendum on whethe...

I know that the hon. Member for Stockton South (James Wharton) has spoken a great deal in the nor...

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman intends to speak later. I know how vocal he has been in the region on ...

Rubbish!

Nissan and Hitachi Rail Europe are two cases in point. On 8 November, at the launch of the new Qa...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful point. The automotive sector is now a world-class success sto...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right and that is why I believe that we should have some consultatio...

My hon. Friend, like me, has visited the Nissan plant in Sunderland and as a Sunderland MP I know...

I agree with my hon. Friend. In a moment, I shall come on to the importance of Nissan. It is not ...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful point about the impact on the automotive industry. Did he see...

None of the issues being raised by my hon. Friends should be considered lightly. They are importa...

My hon. Friend referred to amendment 70. Is not one of the problems with that amendment the fact ...

My hon. Friend makes an important point. We need an independent report to prove why staying in Eu...

Obviously, the hon. Gentleman wants Britain to stay in the European Union. That is perfectly okay...

I do not agree with a referendum in four years’ time given that nobody knows what the question wi...

I thank my hon. Friend for reminding the House of what The Northern Echo said. Would it not be gr...

There is certainly a deafening silence from the hon. Member for Stockton South.

I have been as disciplined as I can, Mr Speaker, as I do not wish to drag out the debate. However...

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman should make a speech on these issues. Let us not forget that I am plea...

Is not the reason for the silence from the hon. Member for Stockton South (James Wharton) blatant...

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. By your reckoning, has my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton So...

No.

The hon. Member for Stockton South was provoked into speaking in his own debate. That tells a tal...

I agree with my hon. Friend.

The next time the hon. Member for Stockton South wants to turn...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I want to make some progress, if my hon. Friend does not mind.

More than 140,000 jobs in th...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

10.30 am

I would like to make some progress.

Total exports from the north-east to the EU last year w...

Does my hon. Friend agree that one European success story has been Airbus? This week’s announceme...

Again, my hon. Friend is absolutely right. That proves the importance of our role in Europe now a...

Despite everything the hon. Gentleman is saying, does he agree that it is essential that we have ...

I thought that the hon. Gentleman would make an intervention during my speech, so I looked at the...

I rise to speak to amendment 62 and new schedule 1, which I tabled, and to support a range of oth...

There is a lot of merit in my hon. Friend’s suggestion because there are a number of precedents o...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that point, which I was going to incorporate in my speech. I ...

My hon. Friend was speaking about the potential negative economic consequences of the proposal to...

Indeed, but the problem for the Prime Minister is that he has been taken prisoner by extremists i...

We are offered a choice between a Speaker’s Committee made up of elected Members in amendment 62 ...

Indeed. I tabled amendment 62 and new schedule 1 to deal with that very point.

As my amendment 58 has been mentioned, I thought I should make a brief intervention. I have consi...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I was in no way seeking to be critical of him. His amendment was...

When the hon. Gentleman refers to extremists, is he aware that France, Ireland, Holland and Denma...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, but I was not referring to extremists in France and Denmark....

The hon. Member for Stone (Mr Cash) refers to referendums in Ireland and Denmark. He is well awar...

My hon. Friend is right and makes the point that I was about to make in response to the hon. Memb...

It is a pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Derby North (Chris Williamson) and the c...

If Labour forms the next Government, will they give the British people a referendum?

I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman attended the Second Reading debate. My right hon. Friend...

Does the shadow Minister not accept that there are divisions on this issue in his own party?

With the greatest respect, I do not accept that. Both sides of the House, if they are being hones...

And the Minister would not answer the question today.

And my right hon. Friend rightly points out that the Minister would not answer the question today...

Does my hon. Friend believe that perhaps in the Prime Minister’s mind is the warning from Lord He...

One hopes that the Prime Minister might listen to the warnings of the former Deputy Prime Ministe...

Is it not the case that the Prime Minister is either unwilling or unable to say which competences...

My hon. Friend makes his point. The Minister for Europe should be intervening to tell us what pow...

I cannot speak for the Minister, only for myself, but some of us want something very simple. We w...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, and it is one of the reasons why I have always s...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I apologise to the hon. Gentleman, but I want to make a bit more progress on something in which I...

What we really want is to bring the government of the United Kingdom back to the United Kingdom, ...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for intervening on me to tell the Minister for Europe what he...

On the amendment tabled by our hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain), does my h...

My hon. Friend makes an extremely important point, as indeed has our hon. Friend the Member for G...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful case. Does he agree that a strength of amendment 70, also tab...

My hon. Friend makes a good point on the case for amendment 70 and the real motivations behind th...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I am not going to give way.

That is just one part of a critical national interest that shou...

rose—

I have given way to Government Members a number of times and I want to conclude my remarks.