Transcription
Union victory.
David David, obviously Speaker, I beg to move that this house disagrees with the resolved amendments one and two.
We introduce the most straightforward possible bill necessary to enact the referendum result and respect the Supreme Court's judgment. This bill has a simple purpose, and that is to allow the Prime Minister to notify under Article 50 and start the two-year negotiation process.
Indeed, the House of Commons has already accepted this, voting overwhelmingly to pass this bill under Menzies last month. The house accepted that the majority of people, no matter which way they voted in June, now want the Prime Minister to get on with the job at hand and do so without any strings attached.
Despite the simple purpose of this bill, it has generated much debate across both houses, and quite properly so. I should say to those who debate that over the last five weeks, we have seen Parliament at its best. Honourable and right honourable members have spoken with passion, sincerity, and conviction.
However, I was disappointed that the House of Lords voted to amend this bill. This bill is just the next step in a long democratic process surrounding our exit from the European Union. It will continue with future legislation, ranging from the Great Repeal Bill, which will convert existing European Union law into UK law at the time we leave, to a range of specific bills we expect to introduce, such as on immigration or on customs arrangements.
Parliament will be closely involved in all of these important discussions and decisions. As we embark on the forthcoming negotiations, we will not do anything that will undermine the national interest, including the interests of any citizens living in the European Union. We will not enter the negotiations with our hands tied.
This is not to say I do not appreciate the concerns that lie behind these amendments. It's not the end who disagree on, but the means, and I will now attempt to address these individually after I've given way to the right honourable gentleman.
Yes, stable of how many members in this house and a huge majority of most wanting to have a meaningful vote on the government's terms of negotiation, which he defined yesterday as either many accept the government's terms or WT or terms.
Now, when does he expect this book to come to this place? An idiot to all the other parliaments is going to come to when roughly within the two-year period does he expect the house to get a vote even on his tab?
I will, if you'll forgive me, come to the detail of the answer later, but in broad terms, it's impossible to predict when by the month, as it were. The form of words which I crafted before was we intend and expect it to be for TV before the European Parliament votes on the same matters.
So it will fit within the ratification process at the beginning, but as soon as you get the negotiation complete, it's too soon to know when that will be.
Now, a member of one seeks to require the government to act unilaterally to bring forward plans within three months to secure the status of European Union and EEA citizens and their family members living in the United Kingdom.
On this matter, the government's been consistently clear. We want to secure the status of EU citizens who are already living in Britain and the status of British nationals living in other member states as early as we can.
Now, I'll give way to the honourable member, but there is going to be a limit on time. There are obviously many people to speak, so I'm going to limit the number of interventions.
I think I give way to the honourable gentleman.
I am grateful to my honourable friend. As somebody who's married to an EU citizen without a British passport, can I say I wholeheartedly support this government's approach to it? It is absolutely right we get reciprocity before we go ahead with any [Music].
Well, I think I thank the honourable gentleman both for his intervention and for warming the house up.
EU citizens already residents in the United Kingdom make a vital contribution to our economy and our society. Not a minute, including working in crucial public services like the National Health Service. Without them, we will be poorer, and our public services will suffer.
However, the European Union has been clear that we cannot open these discussions until the Prime Minister has given formal notification that the UK wishes to withdraw from the European Union.
That, Mr. Speaker, is why we must pass this straightforward bill without further delay, so the Prime Minister can get to work on the negotiations and we can secure a quick deal