Conduct of negotiations

Part of European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill – in the House of Commons at 4:30 pm on 8 February 2017.

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Photo of Charlie Elphicke Charlie Elphicke Conservative, Dover 4:30, 8 February 2017

I propose to sit down at 4.50 pm, because it is important that we get as many Members in as possible, and it is also important to give an example to Patrick Grady, who, sadly, is not in his seat today, so he can understand that courtesy to the House and to other speakers—and to Mary Creagh, who waited so patiently yesterday—is actually quite important. Good manners are something we should never forget in this place, even if the Scottish National party is not always acquainted with those manners.

Turning to new clause 2, my concern—other than the fact that I do not agree with its proposals—is that it does not include as a priority the fact that we should leave the internal market. We should leave it for two key reasons. First, we cannot carry on writing out cheques for billions of pounds to Brussels. That was a very clear instruction from the referendum and it should be honoured. Secondly, as Caroline Flint alluded to in her principled and considered speech, not enough has been done on the matter of immigration and unchecked migration from Europe—freedom of movement, as it is called. It is a great concern to our constituents and it must end, and it cannot end unless we leave the internal market, so that must be our priority. We must leave the internal market so that we can save our money and also so that we can control our borders.

That is difficult for the metropolitan elite of the SNP and the metropolitan elite who run the Labour party these days, who are completely divorced from how people in the regions of England and Wales and elsewhere feel. They feel very deeply about controlling our borders and controlling migration. They feel very deeply about that in my constituency of Dover. [Interruption.] I am being challenged: it is being said that I was not a leaver, and that is true. I made the case for remain because I was concerned about our border at Dover, but the decision has been made and we need to honour it, understand why it happened and implement it as quickly as possible, with a clean Brexit and a clean Bill to do so.