No-deal EU Exit Preparations

Sarah Newton Excerpts
Wednesday 20th March 2019

(5 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Chris Heaton-Harris Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Chris Heaton-Harris)
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I thank my hon. Friend for his urgent question and congratulate him on securing your approval for it, Mr Speaker.

The Government have always been clear that leaving the European Union without a deal is not an outcome that we want. Last week, Parliament voted against leaving with no deal, signalling a clear majority against such an outcome. However, the legal default is that the UK will leave the EU without a deal unless an alternative is agreed; any agreed extension would not change that. A longer extension would also entail holding European Parliament elections in the UK. As the Prime Minister stated in her letter to Donald Tusk, we

“do not believe that it would be in either of our interests”—

the UK’s or the EU’s—

“for the UK to hold European Parliament elections.”

Sarah Newton Portrait Sarah Newton (Truro and Falmouth) (Con)
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Will my hon. Friend give way?