My Lords, in that extraordinary vote on Tuesday last, your Lordships’ House indicated what it felt about the most objectionable part of the Bill, and I hope that we will have a chance to develop those arguments further next week. However, the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, was right in her opening words to remind us that, although they are the overwhelming matters of concern in the Bill, they are not the only ones. Indeed, I find myself echoing what a number of your Lordships said in last week’s debate: what is the point of this Bill in its present form?
I draw your Lordships’ attention to the very trenchant comments in the devastating report of our Constitution Committee published last week. It indicated the committee’s unanimous real concern on the whole issue of devolution. Way back in the 1970s, I was not an advocate of devolution, and I sometimes think that my fears have come to pass. However, the fact is that we have devolution, and we cannot ignore what we have or we will truly endanger the future of the union, and that we must not do. Therefore, I very much hope that when my noble friend comes to wind up this debate, he will make it quite plain that he has taken on board our Constitution Committee’s comments on devolution.
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We cannot ride roughshod over what has now been established for 20 years or more. If we do, we will truly endanger the future of the United Kingdom. Now that we are out of the European Union, which of course we are, no subject should cause more concern or potential heartache to any Member of your Lordships’ House than the future of the United Kingdom. It would be a constitutional and political tragedy if, a decade from now, Northern Ireland and maybe Wales but almost certainly Scotland had broken away. As a member of a mongrel family, a large proportion of whom still live north of the border, I would feel that to be the ultimate betrayal of the British Parliament and of the union, which it is our duty to safeguard.
I hope that, as we go through this Bill, we will remember how crucial it is that the United Kingdom survives. I hope that the Government will take on board the seriousness of this threat or danger to our country and head off the forces of English nationalism, which seem a little too predominant in my party at the moment.