EU Referendum (Privy Council) Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

EU Referendum (Privy Council)

Toby Perkins Excerpts
Monday 14th March 2016

(8 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I think we know the President of whom the hon. Gentleman speaks. The President is a most illustrious individual, but the last time I looked he was not a member of the Privy Council. We will leave it there as I think it was a rhetorical question.

Toby Perkins Portrait Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) (Lab)
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The Leader of the House is clinging to the defence that he is using today, but it is clear that the Secretary of State for Justice wants people to believe that he was the source and that the story is true. Given that the right hon. Member for Mid Sussex (Sir Nicholas Soames), whom we all respect tremendously on such matters, considers this to be treason, the Leader of the House’s rather flippant approach massively undermines the importance of this important role.

Chris Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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I am not quite sure where the hon. Gentleman is coming from. Someone cannot be found guilty of an offence when none has taken place. My predecessor has said that the story is categorically untrue, so that really should be the end of the matter.