I rise to speak about my amendments 293, 294 and 295, which deal with the issue of who decides exit day, but rather than making the speech that I originally prepared, I will keep my remarks brief and broad.
The Prime Minister’s decision to set the exit date and to write it into law is another panic move, and it puts her into a self-tying straitjacket. It is a sop to the hard Brexiteers, and it creates a rod for the negotiators’ backs. It weakens, rather than strengthens, the UK’s position in the crucial nine months that are left for us to negotiate a good deal. Eighteen months after the referendum, we have seen the bluff and bluster on the withdrawal agreement. The Foreign Secretary has gone from telling our European partners to go whistle to being little Tommy Tucker singing for his supper to the tune of £40 billion. We have seen a tug of war take place on EU citizens’ rights, and a deal on no hard border with Ireland taking place in frantic late-night phone calls—a deal that the Brexit Secretary later undermined by calling it a mere “statement of intent”, which has caused all sorts of problems.
6.45 pm
I say this to the Conservative rebels here tonight. I have broken the Whip of my own party only once since entering this place 12 and a half years ago. That was on the decision to trigger article 50, which I voted against because I knew the Government did not have their negotiating ducks in a row—and how right I have been proved on that. My message to the Tory rebels tonight is: “Take no lessons from serial rebels on your own side. They have their principles, you have yours, no less dearly held and deeply felt. Stand by those principles and the silent majority of your constituents will stand by you. More importantly, you will be able to look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘I did what I thought was best.’” This is not about party politics. It is about the national interest. This place is not a rubber-stamp. We are not nodding donkeys to nod stuff through. We want a meaningful vote. I for one will be proud to walk with you through the Lobby tonight.