Leaving the European Union Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Leaving the European Union

Lord Taylor of Holbeach Excerpts
Wednesday 22nd May 2019

(4 years, 11 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Taylor of Holbeach Portrait Lord Taylor of Holbeach (Con)
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My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Pearson, has been getting up since the beginning. We ought to hear from him and then from the noble Lord and, indeed, from Wales.

Lord Pearson of Rannoch Portrait Lord Pearson of Rannoch
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That is generous of the noble Lord. If and when this latest version of the Government’s deal fails, why do they not offer EU citizens a very simple alternative deal: continuing free trade under the World Trade Organization, which would get rid of the Irish border problem; continuing reciprocal residence for, say, two years; and going on with programmes such as Erasmus but as a sovereign nation? Why do the Government feel bound to prolong their hopeless negotiations with the Commission under clause 2 of Article 50 when Brussels has broken clause 1 by not allowing us to regain our sovereignty and has no intention of doing so? Why do we not team up with the people of Europe, to our mutual benefit and friendship?