Giles Watling

Conservative MP for Clacton

@GilesWatling

European Union Integration

There have been votes in Parliament on the degree of the UK's integration with the European Union. Specific matters voted on include the UK's opt out from the European Union Police and Criminal Justice Measures and the establishment of a European Union External Action Service.

Photo: tristam sparks

Giles Watling generally voted against more EU integration

TheyWorkForYou has automatically calculated this MP’s stance based on all of their votes on the topic. You can browse the source data on PublicWhip.org.uk.

Major votes

  • On 18 May 2022: Giles Watling voted not to express support for a series of policy proposals put forward by the leader of the Scottish National Party Ian Blackford MP. The policies in question were: protecting workers' rights, doing more in respect of the cost of living and climate change; increasing benefits; imposing windfall taxes; retaining existing EU derived law and retaining the existing Human Rights Act. Show vote
  • On 30 Dec 2020: Giles Watling voted in favour of cooperation with the EU and its member states on subjects including crime, transport, research and nuclear non-proliferation. Show vote
  • On 30 Dec 2020: Giles Watling voted in favour of cooperation with the EU and its member states on subjects including crime, transport, research and nuclear non-proliferation. Show vote
  • On 9 Dec 2020: Giles Watling was absent for a vote on Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020 (Consequential, Saving, Transitional and Transitory Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 — Exiting the European Union (Immigration and Asylum) Show vote
  • On 25 Nov 2020: Giles Watling voted for the UK's appeal courts not to be bound by decisions of the European Union Court of Justice, after the transition period associated with the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the union. Show vote
  • On 15 Jul 2020: Giles Watling voted no on Extension of the Transition Period Following the UK Leaving the EU Show vote
  • On 30 Jun 2020: Giles Watling voted to end the general right for nationals of European Union member states, European Economic Area states and Switzerland to enter and reside in the UK while retaining such rights for Irish citizens. Show vote
  • On 18 May 2020: Giles Watling was absent for a vote on Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill — Second Reading Show vote
  • On 8 Jan 2020: Giles Watling voted against requiring the Government to seek to negotiate continuing full membership of the EU's Erasmus+ education and youth programme. Show vote
  • On 8 Jan 2020: Giles Watling voted against seeking close alignment with the EU single market underpinned by shared institutions and obligations; against participation in EU agencies and funding programmes; and against UK rights and protections for workers, consumers and the environment keeping pace with EU standards as a minimum. Show vote
  • On 24 Oct 2019: Giles Watling voted in favour of the UK Government’s proposals for leaving the European Union. Show vote
  • On 23 Oct 2019: Giles Watling voted to remove rights for EU, Swiss and Turkish nationals to pursue business activities in the UK following the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Show vote
  • On 15 Oct 2019: Giles Watling voted to transfer powers to set certain technical environmental regulations from the EU to the UK on the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Show vote
  • On 1 Apr 2019: Giles Watling voted against a permanent and comprehensive United Kingdom-wide customs union with the European Union. Show vote
  • On 27 Mar 2019: Giles Watling voted to leave the European Union on the 12th of April 2019 without a withdrawal agreement. Show vote
  • On 27 Mar 2019: Giles Watling voted against a UK wide customs union with the EU. Show vote
  • On 13 Feb 2019: Giles Watling voted to make European Union laws regulating converting loans into "securities" for sale to investors effective and enforceable in the United Kingdom. Show vote
  • On 11 Feb 2019: Giles Watling voted to allow the Government to update UK law to correspond with EU financial services laws currently making their way through the European legislative process. Show vote
  • On 30 Jan 2019: Giles Watling voted to revoke arrangements for cross-border action to tackle infringements of various EU consumer laws. Show vote
  • On 30 Jan 2019: Giles Watling voted yes on Draft Maritime Transport Access to Trade and Cabotage (Revocation) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 Show vote
  • On 28 Jan 2019: Giles Watling voted to confirm the rights of Irish citizens to enter and remain in the UK without permission but to otherwise make European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss nationals, and their family members, subject to UK immigration controls. Show vote
  • On 16 Jan 2019: Giles Watling voted to maintain and improve coordination and cooperation between EU member states in the field of policing and justice, particularly in relation to serious organised crime. Show vote
  • On 19 Dec 2018: Giles Watling voted yes on Markets in Financial Instruments (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 Show vote
  • On 19 Dec 2018: Giles Watling voted to amend the law on accounts and reports from corporate bodies to remove the involvement of the European Union and to remove preferential treatment of bodies from the European Economic Area. Show vote
  • On 17 Jul 2018: Giles Watling voted against making retaining membership of the European medicines regulatory network a government objective. Show vote
  • On 13 Jun 2018: Giles Watling voted against making the UK's withdrawal from the EU conditional on seeking, as an objective for the UK's negotiation of the withdrawal agreement, full access to the internal market of the EU rather than merely European Economic Area membership. Show vote
  • On 13 Jun 2018: Giles Watling voted against making the UK's withdrawal from the EU conditional on seeking, as an objective for the UK's negotiation of the withdrawal agreement, an international agreement which enables the United Kingdom to continue to participate in the European Economic Area. Show vote
  • On 13 Jun 2018: Giles Watling voted against largely retaining the EU "Charter of Fundamental Rights" as part of UK law following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. Show vote
  • On 13 Jun 2018: Giles Watling voted not to make incompatibility with the general principles of EU law actionable in the UK courts following the UK's withdrawal from the union. Show vote
  • On 13 Jun 2018: Giles Watling voted against steps designed to ensure that the UK’s withdrawal from the EU does not result in the removal or diminution of any rights, powers, liabilities, obligations, restrictions, remedies and procedures that contribute to the protection and improvement of the environment. Show vote
  • On 17 Jan 2018: Giles Watling voted for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. Show vote
  • On 17 Jan 2018: Giles Watling voted for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. Show vote
  • On 20 Dec 2017: Giles Watling voted against the UK retaining the EU's common customs tariff and common commercial policy. Show vote
  • On 13 Dec 2017: Giles Watling voted to allow ministers to withdraw the UK from the European Economic Area, the European single market. Show vote
  • On 12 Dec 2017: Giles Watling voted to allow laws which were required by the UK's membership of the European single market to be weakened, removed or replaced by Ministers after the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Show vote
  • On 21 Nov 2017: Giles Watling voted against requiring the UK Government to report on changes to EU legislation which form part of UK law, and against requiring the Government to consider adopting such changes to ensure that the rights of workers and employees in the UK are no less favourable than they would have been had the UK remained a member of the EU or EEA. Show vote
  • On 21 Nov 2017: Giles Watling voted against the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights remaining part of UK law on the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. Show vote
  • On 21 Nov 2017: Giles Watling voted against retaining general principles of EU law derived from EU treaties, direct EU legislation and EU directives, as part of UK law after the UK leaves the EU, and voted to only retain those general principles deriving from European Court [of justice] case law. Show vote
  • On 14 Nov 2017: Giles Watling voted to end the supremacy of EU law in domestic law and to remove the mechanism which enables the flow of new EU law into UK law. Show vote
  • On 14 Nov 2017: Giles Watling voted not to require courts or tribunals to have regard to anything done on or after exit day by the European Court, another EU entity or the EU. Show vote
  • On 11 Sep 2017: Giles Watling voted to end the supremacy of EU law in UK law; to convert EU law into domestic law on the UK's exit from the European Union and to give ministers the power to correct deficiencies in retained EU law. Show vote
  • On 11 Sep 2017: Giles Watling voted to end the supremacy of EU law in UK law; to convert EU law into domestic law on the UK's exit from the European Union and to give ministers the power to correct deficiencies in retained EU law. Show vote

Scoring Agreements

Agreements are when Parliament takes a decision without holding a vote.

This does not necessarily mean universal approval, but does mean there were no (or few) objections made to the decision being made.

No scoring agreements are part of this policy while this member was elected.

Minor votes

  • On 26 Jan 2021: Giles Watling voted not to require the standard of chemical regulation standards to be at least that which applies in the EU. Show vote
  • On 20 Jan 2020: Giles Watling voted in favour of the Government’s proposals for leaving the EU. Show vote
  • On 4 Sep 2019: Giles Watling voted against requiring the Prime Minister to seek a delay to the UK leaving the EU until 31 January 2020 unless MPs have approved either terms of a withdrawal agreement, or withdrawal without an agreement. Show vote
  • On 4 Sep 2019: Giles Watling voted against requiring the Prime Minister to seek a delay to the UK leaving the EU until 31 January 2020 unless MPs have approved either terms of a withdrawal agreement, or withdrawal without an agreement. Show vote
  • On 3 Sep 2019: Giles Watling voted against enabling the House of Commons to pass a bill to require the Prime Minister to seek to delay withdrawal to prevent the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement, unless doing so is approved by MPs. Show vote
  • On 25 Jun 2019: Giles Watling voted to exclude wind and water turbines from a special reduced rate of VAT applying to the supply and installation of energy-saving materials in residential accommodation. Show vote
  • On 9 Apr 2019: Giles Watling voted against seeking to delay the UK leaving the EU until 30 June 2019. Show vote
  • On 2 Apr 2019: Giles Watling voted to, if the UK withdraws from the EU, remove protections against traders discriminating against customers on the basis of a customer's nationality or location. Show vote
  • On 1 Apr 2019: Giles Watling voted against continued relatively free movement of goods, services, persons and capital between the UK, EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, achieved via membership of European Free Trade Association (EFTA); and against external tariff alignment between the UK and the EU. Show vote
  • On 27 Mar 2019: Giles Watling voted against continued relatively free movement of goods, services, persons and capital between the UK, EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, achieved via membership of European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but without a customs union with the EU. Show vote
  • On 26 Mar 2019: Giles Watling voted to approve the Government's assessment of the UK's medium term economic and budgetary position for submission to the European Commission. Show vote
  • On 29 Jan 2019: Giles Watling voted voted not to seek to delay the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union; not to rule out leaving without a withdrawal agreement; and against Scotland remaining in the European Union. Show vote
  • On 11 Sep 2018: Giles Watling was absent for a vote on Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill — New Clause 1 — Continued Participation in the European Arrest Warrant Show vote
  • On 18 Jul 2018: Giles Watling voted for greater partnership and cooperation between European Union members, the European Union, the European Atomic Energy Community, and the Republic of Armenia. Show vote
  • On 18 Jul 2018: Giles Watling voted to strengthen relations between the EU, its Member States and Cuba Show vote
  • On 18 Jul 2018: Giles Watling voted to broaden engagement, dialogue and cooperation with Canada in areas of common interest, such as: human rights and democracy, international peace and security and effective multilateralism, economic and sustainable development, and justice, freedom and security. Show vote
  • On 18 Jul 2018: Giles Watling voted to strengthen cooperation between the EU, its Member States and Australia in a range of sectors of mutual interest. Show vote
  • On 18 Jul 2018: Giles Watling voted to consolidate and strengthen cooperation between the EU, its Member States and New Zealand in a range of sectors of mutual interest. Show vote
  • On 17 Jul 2018: Giles Watling voted against making it a UK negotiating objective to establish a free trade area for goods between the UK and the EU and, if that cannot be agreed by the 21st of January 2019, against making reaching an agreement to enable the UK’s participation in a customs union with the EU a negotiating objective. Show vote
  • On 13 Jun 2018: Giles Watling voted against making the UK's withdrawal from the EU conditional on a statement on how the UK's continued participation in a customs union with the EU was sought during negotiations on the withdrawal agreement. Show vote
  • On 23 Jan 2018: Giles Watling voted against a transition period of at least two years for the transition to a domestic nuclear regulatory regime from the framework provided via the European Atomic Energy Community. Show vote
  • On 17 Jan 2018: Giles Watling voted against requiring an agreement for the UK to remain a member of the EU single market and customs union before allowing ministers to make regulations to implement an agreement on the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Show vote
  • On 16 Jan 2018: Giles Watling voted against retaining a EU "Charter of Fundamental Rights" as part of UK law following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. Show vote
  • On 16 Jan 2018: Giles Watling voted to preserve, on the UK's withdrawal from the EU all rights, powers, liabilities, obligations, restrictions, remedies and procedures present in UK law as a result of the UK's membership of the EU. Show vote
  • On 20 Dec 2017: Giles Watling voted against a transition period of at least two years prior to implementation of an agreement on the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union during which existing arrangements with the EU covering trade, security, regulations and financial contributions would be maintained. Show vote
  • On 14 Nov 2017: Giles Watling voted against requiring the consent of the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. Show vote

Informative Agreements

Agreements are when Parliament takes a decision without holding a vote.

This does not necessarily mean universal approval, but does mean there were no (or few) objections made to the decision being made.

No informative agreements are part of this policy while this member was elected.

Note for journalists and researchers: The data on this page may be used freely, on condition that TheyWorkForYou.com is cited as the source.

For an explanation of the vote descriptions please see our page about voting information on TheyWorkForYou.

Profile photo: © Parliament (CC-BY 3.0)