I am sorry, I will not give way, because other colleagues want to get in.
7.15 pm
Today, we are debating two amendments on the customs union and on the EEA single market. Those are the least worst options for when, or if, we leave the European Union. We are trying as a Parliament to soften the blow of the Conservative Government’s ideology and ambition to deliver the hardest of Brexits because—as we have heard from Government Members before—they want to turn us into Singapore. All the analysis that anyone has sent us, including the Treasury, the Scottish Government, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and many think-tanks, tells us that it would damage the country if were to go down the route of the single market and the customs union, but it would damage us less than if we were to go down the route of a no-deal scenario or if we fell back on World Trade Organisation rules.
The Brexiteers across the Chamber have been saying for the past two days that we are trying to frustrate the process, but that is Brexiteer-speak for “We don’t have any answers to the questions, so we’ll disregard what you are saying and your attempts to have a debate in the country about what is in the best interests of the people we seek to represent.” The only people who are trying to undermine and frustrate the Brexit negotiations are the Government themselves. How can we possibly allow the European Commission and the 27 other nations of the European Union to negotiate a bespoke deal, or any other deal, with us when the Cabinet themselves cannot even agree? Away day after away day will not sort out the deep divisions within the Government, and the only conclusion is that this will damage the country.
I say to every hon. Member here tonight: let us take the opportunity that is in front of us now. This is the time for the 650 Members of this Parliament to stand up, so that when we look back in 20 or 30 years’ time, we will be able to look our constituents in the eye and say with confidence that we did all we possibly could to save this country from economic armageddon.