0:00:23 > 0:00:31Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to be with you this afternoon in Bolton
0:00:31 > 0:00:38and I want first to thank Airbus for the hospitality. This company is a
0:00:38 > 0:00:42great success story, a success story for Wales, for the United Kingdom
0:00:42 > 0:00:51and for Europe. This is the biggest private-sector employer here in this
0:00:51 > 0:00:55place but with two fifths of workers commuting every day from homes in
0:00:55 > 0:00:59England and, of course, Airbus is part of the European enterprise that
0:00:59 > 0:01:02is now operating over five continents and employing people from
0:01:02 > 0:01:08more than 130 different nationalities. It is a vivid example
0:01:08 > 0:01:13from the business world of how diversity in unity can make for a
0:01:13 > 0:01:21global success. And it is those same characteristics that have very much
0:01:21 > 0:01:24defined the success of the United Kingdom over the years. The
0:01:24 > 0:01:28different nations that make up our country have had a long, often
0:01:28 > 0:01:37uneasy, history. The castle is just a few miles down the road from here
0:01:37 > 0:01:43remind us of ancient quarrels, but the shared experience and solidarity
0:01:43 > 0:01:47of our formation at times of great success and grave danger alike have
0:01:47 > 0:01:52come to represent one of the most powerful and enduring symbols of
0:01:52 > 0:01:56freedom, liberty and democracy anywhere in the world, and the
0:01:56 > 0:02:00proudest citizen of Aberdeen, Plymouth, Coleraine or indeed
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Brighton, Kemptown huge pride in also being part of the United
0:02:04 > 0:02:11Kingdom, a united kingdom greater than the sum of its parts. As we
0:02:11 > 0:02:16prepare to leave the EU, preserving and strengthening that union of the
0:02:16 > 0:02:23United Kingdom matters more than ever.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26As we negotiate a new partnership with our friends and neighbours in
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Europe and forge a new role for the United Kingdom in the world, we must
0:02:30 > 0:02:35work for the future that fosters wealth creation, opportunity and
0:02:35 > 0:02:40innovation in every part of the United Kingdom, and which
0:02:40 > 0:02:45strengthens the sense of security, belonging and solidarity in all
0:02:45 > 0:02:50communities, building a country that really does work for everyone. We
0:02:50 > 0:02:55are at a crossroads in our history, we face a choice. The choice that
0:02:55 > 0:02:59represents the difference between a prosperous, secure nation that is
0:02:59 > 0:03:05united at home and strong abroad, and a broader country, divided at
0:03:05 > 0:03:14home and eat weaker player on the global stage. This choice is not
0:03:14 > 0:03:19about whether we leave the European Union. As many of you will know, I'm
0:03:19 > 0:03:26bloated and campaign very hard to remain in the EU, as did many other
0:03:26 > 0:03:31people in this country. But I recognise, as indeed do are 27
0:03:31 > 0:03:36European partners, that the people of the United Kingdom took a
0:03:36 > 0:03:39democratic decision to leave the European Union and that is what we
0:03:39 > 0:03:44must now focus our energies on delivering, seeking both to minimise
0:03:44 > 0:03:48the risks and to seize the opportunities. The choice is
0:03:48 > 0:03:55therefore not whether we believe but how we choose to do so. We could
0:03:55 > 0:04:00leave as a nation divided, a country split, an economy disjointed,
0:04:00 > 0:04:05struggling to forge a unified consensus on the way ahead. But
0:04:05 > 0:04:10there are opportunities as well, opportunities we can see is if we
0:04:10 > 0:04:14come together comedy night and develop into that stronger global
0:04:14 > 0:04:21Britain, which we can be. There were many different reasons why people
0:04:21 > 0:04:29voted to leave the EU in 2016, but reflecting on that campaign, I think
0:04:29 > 0:04:34that above all else, people throughout the country sought to
0:04:34 > 0:04:39regain a feeling of control, not just control over our laws, but over
0:04:39 > 0:04:45our lives to the people we elect into office. When you talk to people
0:04:45 > 0:04:50on the doorstep, what you find is that vote was expressing not just a
0:04:50 > 0:04:55rejection of membership of the EU, but the demand to bring
0:04:55 > 0:04:58decision-making into accountability closer to home, to restore a sense
0:04:58 > 0:05:05of belonging in communities, a sense of connection between the electorate
0:05:05 > 0:05:11and the elected. Yes, we had to ensure that breaks it means more
0:05:11 > 0:05:15power is going to be devolved governments and not fewer. But I
0:05:15 > 0:05:20believe that to renew that sense of connection between citizen and
0:05:20 > 0:05:25government, we need to press on as well with a broader issue to deliver
0:05:25 > 0:05:31greater freedom, more power to act to cities, towns and counties in all
0:05:31 > 0:05:37parts of the United Kingdom. I hope the devolved governments will choose
0:05:37 > 0:05:43to take that approach as well. After all, by someone in Broughton or
0:05:43 > 0:05:49Llandudno, Cardiff can seem as distant as London. From the
0:05:49 > 0:05:51perspective of Orkney, prior cheese made with very different from those
0:05:51 > 0:05:57of central Scotland. Our aim should be nothing less than to see our
0:05:57 > 0:06:03entire country coming together and having their voices heard. It means
0:06:03 > 0:06:07people here in Wales as well as in Scotland, Northern Ireland and
0:06:07 > 0:06:12England, and it means our villages, towns, cities and communities
0:06:12 > 0:06:19throughout the UK all having a voice as well. At the heart of the
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Conservative political tradition is both patria tourism, loyalty to the
0:06:22 > 0:06:29special shared union of the United Kingdom, but also a commitment not
0:06:29 > 0:06:35just to individual rights but to the vital importance of family and
0:06:35 > 0:06:39community, of village, town and county, in enabling individual men
0:06:39 > 0:06:45and women to find meaning, value and fulfilment in their lives. As Edmund
0:06:45 > 0:06:50Burke put it more than 200 years ago, to be attached to the
0:06:50 > 0:06:54subdivision, to love the little platoon we belong to in society is
0:06:54 > 0:07:00the first principle, the germ, as it were, public affections. It is the
0:07:00 > 0:07:06first link by which we proceeded to of our country and of mankind. And I
0:07:06 > 0:07:12suspect that most of those here derive our sense of who we are from
0:07:12 > 0:07:18many different sources, from our family, from where we live, perhaps
0:07:18 > 0:07:22from a sports club or choral Society or community group we support, in
0:07:22 > 0:07:28many cases from our religious faith and of course, from our nation. In
0:07:28 > 0:07:34the United Kingdom, we know there is no contradiction between being an
0:07:34 > 0:07:38ardent Welsh Scottish patriot and being a committed supporter of the
0:07:38 > 0:07:43Union. If I needed a reminder of that truth, it was when the
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Secretary of State for Scotland was gloating to me about the rugby
0:07:46 > 0:07:52result on Saturday. Looking back to last century, I think that my party
0:07:52 > 0:07:59was too slow to recognise the increasing calls for devolution and
0:07:59 > 0:08:02decentralisation represented a genuine shift in public mood. I
0:08:02 > 0:08:07think if dealer look at our record in government in the last eight
0:08:07 > 0:08:12years, we have demonstrated we got that message. The two Scotland's
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Acts in 2012 and 2016, have made Hollywood one of the most powerful
0:08:16 > 0:08:24parliament of its kind in the world. City deals in Scotland, backed by UK
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Government spending, have now been agreed or committed to for all of
0:08:27 > 0:08:34Scotland's southern cities. That Wales Act is delivering a better
0:08:34 > 0:08:38devolution settlement for Wales. City deals for Cardiff and Swansea
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and the future in North Wales growth deal are supporting industries and
0:08:42 > 0:08:48jobs of tomorrow. The passage of English votes for English laws at
0:08:48 > 0:08:53Westminster means MPs representing English voters rightly have the
0:08:53 > 0:08:57final say on issues which matter directly to them and to their
0:08:57 > 0:09:04constituents. We have created new, combined authorities with elected
0:09:04 > 0:09:07mayors across England, but in power firmly in the hands of local people
0:09:07 > 0:09:11in the West Midlands, the West of England, Cambridge, greater
0:09:11 > 0:09:17Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield. This government will continue to
0:09:17 > 0:09:21strive to restore devolution in Northern Ireland, and will remain
0:09:21 > 0:09:25fully committed to the Belfast Agreement. We will continue to
0:09:25 > 0:09:30govern in the interests of all parts of the community in Northern Ireland
0:09:30 > 0:09:34and to uphold the totality of the relationships embodied in that
0:09:34 > 0:09:42agreement. Both East, west and north, south. And we shall stand by
0:09:42 > 0:09:47the commitments in the joint report between the UK and the EU that was
0:09:47 > 0:09:54agreed in December last year. But while we can take pride in that
0:09:54 > 0:10:01record of progress in decentralising power, we can and should go further
0:10:01 > 0:10:05to drive forward both the economic and political regeneration of our
0:10:05 > 0:10:10country. So we are working with both devolved and local authorities to
0:10:10 > 0:10:15help them coordinate their own economic plans with our UK wide
0:10:15 > 0:10:18national industrial strategy, bringing together local businesses
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and leaders to deliver growth, enterprise and job creation in every
0:10:21 > 0:10:26part of our country. We are supporting combined authorities
0:10:26 > 0:10:30located around our English cities to adopt elected mayors should they
0:10:30 > 0:10:35wish to do so. We will bring forward a borderlands growth deal, including
0:10:35 > 0:10:40all the councils on both the Scottish and English sides of the
0:10:40 > 0:10:43border, to help secure prosperity in southern Scotland. We will build on
0:10:43 > 0:10:49the future North Wales growth deal, but also fostering opportunities
0:10:49 > 0:10:55between Welsh cities and the rest of the UK, for example by linking
0:10:55 > 0:11:00economic development opportunities in Cardiff, Newport and Bristol. And
0:11:00 > 0:11:08we have committed to looking at the city deal for Belfast. At the same
0:11:08 > 0:11:11time, we are unapologetically committed to the constitutional
0:11:11 > 0:11:15integrity of the United Kingdom, so, alongside those initiatives to bring
0:11:15 > 0:11:20more power is closer to the people, we are working to ensure that the
0:11:20 > 0:11:24institutions and the power of the UK are used in a way that benefits
0:11:24 > 0:11:31people in every part of our country. For a country that not only has a
0:11:31 > 0:11:36shared past, but continues today to draw strengths from all parts of the
0:11:36 > 0:11:41Union, there are more than 31,000 United Kingdom civil servants based
0:11:41 > 0:11:49here in Wales, including in our new UK Government hub in Cardiff. Eight
0:11:49 > 0:11:56out of ten goods lorries leaving Wales go to the rest of the UK,
0:11:56 > 0:12:01highlighting the importance of the United Kingdom- wide market.
0:12:01 > 0:12:07Bombarding a's factory in Belfast has a supply chain of 800 companies
0:12:07 > 0:12:12throughout the UK and Ireland, supporting thousands of highly
0:12:12 > 0:12:18skilled jobs. And it is from the Department for International
0:12:18 > 0:12:23Development headquarters in East Kilbride, Scotland, that the UK's
0:12:23 > 0:12:27International work to vaccinate children against killer diseases, to
0:12:27 > 0:12:32educate girls and provide clean water and sanitation to people who
0:12:32 > 0:12:37desperately needed, is driven. And of course, are based on the Clyde,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41home to thousands of shipbuilding jobs, is central to the UK's defence
0:12:41 > 0:12:48capabilities. Put simply, we are all more prosperous and secure when we
0:12:48 > 0:12:56work together for our common good as one United Kingdom. Leaving the EU
0:12:56 > 0:13:00presents many challenges for our centuries-old union story, and
0:13:00 > 0:13:06opportunities as well. And someone to use this as an excuse to loosen
0:13:06 > 0:13:10the ties that bind us together or even sever them completely. I
0:13:10 > 0:13:14believe such an outcome would lead every one of our four nations both
0:13:14 > 0:13:21weaker and crueller. The task before us is not an easy one, it is
0:13:21 > 0:13:28complex. How do we alone greater control across England's Scotland,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Wales and Northern Ireland over the things that affect them separately,
0:13:31 > 0:13:38while preserving the things that affect us all collectively, as we
0:13:38 > 0:13:43return powers from Brussels to the United Kingdom. How do we ensure
0:13:43 > 0:13:48that a new wave of devolution delivers for the people of Scotland,
0:13:48 > 0:13:53Wales, England and Northern Ireland, but at the same time, protects the
0:13:53 > 0:14:00essence of our Union. For a start, all the governments together have
0:14:00 > 0:14:03agreed that we will need to have frameworks that breakdown which
0:14:03 > 0:14:08powers should sit where, once they have returned from Brussels, and
0:14:08 > 0:14:12that is a sensible and constructive approach, because these powers are
0:14:12 > 0:14:18not all the same. Some are very obviously for the devolved
0:14:18 > 0:14:22governments and parliaments to exercise, and they don't need any
0:14:22 > 0:14:26involvement on the UK- wide basis. For example, the devolved
0:14:26 > 0:14:32governments are best place to manage the safety and quality of the water
0:14:32 > 0:14:34people living their drink, as well as looking after and caring for the
0:14:34 > 0:14:44natural environment. At the same time, there are other powers which
0:14:44 > 0:14:47are, yes, for the devolved government to shape according to the
0:14:47 > 0:14:51needs and ambitions, and where they don't need legislation to underpin
0:14:51 > 0:14:55how what they do relates to the other nations of the UK, but where
0:14:55 > 0:15:00it would nevertheless still be in everybody's interests to agree a
0:15:00 > 0:15:04loose form of cooperation, perhaps a memorandum of understanding between
0:15:04 > 0:15:10the devolved and UK governments. For instance, we will need to be able to
0:15:10 > 0:15:15continue to work together on important domestic policy areas. For
0:15:15 > 0:15:21example, ensuring that a vital organ that is donated by someone in one
0:15:21 > 0:15:24part of the United Kingdom can still be used transplant to treat a
0:15:24 > 0:15:33patient in another part of the Kingdom. Those powers should still
0:15:33 > 0:15:35rightly be devolved, not centralised, and that is the offer
0:15:35 > 0:15:41we have put on the table. But on the other hand, some powers are clearly
0:15:41 > 0:15:46related to the UK as a whole and will need to continue to apply in
0:15:46 > 0:15:51the same way across all four nations, in order to protect
0:15:51 > 0:15:55consumers and businesses who buy and sell across the UK. In all parts of
0:15:55 > 0:16:02what we might call the United Kingdom's Common Market. That market
0:16:02 > 0:16:05is one of the fundamental expressions of the constitutional
0:16:05 > 0:16:10integrity that underpins our existence as a union. The government
0:16:10 > 0:16:15will protect that vital Common Market of the UK. By retaining UK
0:16:15 > 0:16:21frameworks were necessary, we will retain our ability, not only to act
0:16:21 > 0:16:26on the national interest when we need to, but to do so with the unity
0:16:26 > 0:16:29of purpose that places the prosperity and security of other
0:16:29 > 0:16:34citizens, no matter where they are from or where they were born, to the
0:16:34 > 0:16:41front. For example, at present, EU law means that our farmers and other
0:16:41 > 0:16:44food producers already to comply with one set of package labelling
0:16:44 > 0:16:51and hygiene rules. For different sets of rules in different parts of
0:16:51 > 0:16:56the UK would only it more ethical than more expensive for a
0:16:56 > 0:17:00cheesemaker in Monmouthshire to sell to customers in Bristol, or body
0:17:00 > 0:17:07cattle farmer in Aberdeen Shire to sell his beef in Berwick-upon-Tweed.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11These are everyday issues affecting how people live their lives. They
0:17:11 > 0:17:16are the issues that people in the UK expect governments to get on and a
0:17:16 > 0:17:19delay in a clear interest of families and businesses in every
0:17:19 > 0:17:26part of England's, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland alike. So that
0:17:26 > 0:17:29is entirely what the United Kingdom government stands ready, waiting and
0:17:29 > 0:17:39willing to do.
0:17:40 > 0:17:49An to ensure that the factory can continue to sell, that the family
0:17:49 > 0:17:54firm in Swansea can continue to buy supplies in Swindon, and customers
0:17:54 > 0:18:00in Londonderry can still placed orders in Leeds without any extra
0:18:00 > 0:18:05red tape or expense. And I want to say one thing for that. The Prime
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Minister has been clear throughout the negotiations with the European
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Union that we want to preserve the standard super tech employment and
0:18:13 > 0:18:20workers' rights, to deliver consumer protection and safeguard the
0:18:20 > 0:18:23environment. That means keeping these high standards right across
0:18:23 > 0:18:28the whole of the United Kingdom, and for our part as the United Kingdom
0:18:28 > 0:18:33Government, we are committed to working in partnership with the
0:18:33 > 0:18:36devolved governments to ensure that those standards are universal in all
0:18:36 > 0:18:41four parts of our country. It is fair to say that the road to agree
0:18:41 > 0:18:44on how we go forward together has not always been a smooth and
0:18:44 > 0:18:49straight bond. Along with my predecessors in the Cabinet Office
0:18:49 > 0:18:54and the secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
0:18:54 > 0:18:57have engage closely with the devolved governments to understand
0:18:57 > 0:19:04their concerns and respond to them. They have been expressed clearly and
0:19:04 > 0:19:10often forthrightly, but we have continued to talk. Both that
0:19:10 > 0:19:13political and official level, and even more importantly, we have
0:19:13 > 0:19:19continued to listen. The Prime Minister's first visit after
0:19:19 > 0:19:24entering Downing Street was to Edinburgh. Two of my first phone
0:19:24 > 0:19:28calls upon moving across to the Cabinet Office last month were to
0:19:28 > 0:19:32the Deputy First Minister of Scotland and the First Minister of
0:19:32 > 0:19:40Wales. I met them both in person during my first weeks in this role
0:19:40 > 0:19:44to underline my personal commitment to engaging constructively, and
0:19:44 > 0:19:52striking the agreement that is in all interest. While they have always
0:19:52 > 0:19:56acknowledged that the Government has said we want to seek many of the
0:19:56 > 0:20:00powers from Brussels go straight to the devolved governments, there has
0:20:00 > 0:20:06been a question throughout about what our starting point should be.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10Should those powers sit at a UK wide level while we then agreed a future
0:20:10 > 0:20:18framework? Or should be set at the devolved level well be a dream --
0:20:18 > 0:20:32well be a great Davey? We have a different point of view and to the
0:20:32 > 0:20:37views expressed in the devolved parliament. Just last week, we held
0:20:37 > 0:20:41constructive discussions in London, where we put forward a considerable
0:20:41 > 0:20:45offer- a commitment that the vast majority are powers returning from
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Brussels will start off in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast and
0:20:49 > 0:20:5619 Whitehall. And let me be in no doubt, this would be a very big
0:20:56 > 0:21:02change to the EU withdrawal build bridges before Parliament, and a
0:21:02 > 0:21:06significant step forward in these negotiations. It but put on the face
0:21:06 > 0:21:11of the bill what we have always said would be our attention, wide ranging
0:21:11 > 0:21:14devolution not just a way from Brussels but from Westminster too.
0:21:14 > 0:21:21And if accepted, this offer put beyond doubt our commitment to a
0:21:21 > 0:21:26smooth and orderly departure from the European Union in a way that
0:21:26 > 0:21:29does not just respected the devolution settlement, but
0:21:29 > 0:21:37strengthens and enhances them. Our postal is to amend the bill before
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Parliament to make clear that both frameworks at the agreed, the
0:21:41 > 0:21:44presumption would know about speed that powers returning from the EU
0:21:44 > 0:21:53should set to devolved level. Westminster would only be involved
0:21:53 > 0:21:58where, to protect the Common Market or to meet our international
0:21:58 > 0:22:02obligations we need to pause, and I stress pass, to give the Government
0:22:02 > 0:22:11is time to design and put in place a UK wide framework. We expect to be
0:22:11 > 0:22:14able to secure agreement but the devolved Government about what
0:22:14 > 0:22:21framework should or should not apply to each power. By Palestinian to be
0:22:21 > 0:22:25returned to a UK wide framework, we would retain the ability to
0:22:25 > 0:22:29legislate to do that. Just as the current tradition with an EU
0:22:29 > 0:22:36withdrawal bill on releasing powers are intended to be by consensus and
0:22:36 > 0:22:39agreement, with the devolved governments themselves, so we should
0:22:39 > 0:22:45expect these new inverted power to operate in the same way, by
0:22:45 > 0:22:52consensus and by agreement. Norma does proposed arrangement provides a
0:22:52 > 0:22:56devolved Government from doing anything that is already within
0:22:56 > 0:23:04their competence. At the same time, our proposal offers an important
0:23:04 > 0:23:08protection. It would insure that rather not to be an agreement, and
0:23:08 > 0:23:12not having an agreement on a framework would put at risk debates
0:23:12 > 0:23:17being smooth and orderly exit that we all need, the UK parliaments
0:23:17 > 0:23:19could protect the essential interests of businesses and
0:23:19 > 0:23:26consumers in every part of the kingdom. So, I am clear that is in
0:23:26 > 0:23:31the interests of all parts of the United Kingdom to a Greek Iborra/
0:23:31 > 0:23:36fully respects the devolved settlement, that reserves the
0:23:36 > 0:23:39integrity of the United Kingdom market, and maintains the ability to
0:23:39 > 0:23:44shoot an agreement with the European Union on a future partnership. Our
0:23:44 > 0:23:48new proposal is a reflection of the seriousness of our desire to strike
0:23:48 > 0:23:53agreements with the devolved governments, our seriousness about
0:23:53 > 0:23:58delivering more powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while at
0:23:58 > 0:24:02this time ensuring that there are no new barriers for people across the
0:24:02 > 0:24:06nations of the United Kingdom, so families can continue to buy and
0:24:06 > 0:24:10sell it freely, so businesses will not face except the rocky sea at
0:24:10 > 0:24:21higher cost, so people they minimal destruction to their everyday lives,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25and maximum security in the future. I hope the talks that are Mounted
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Regiment will lead in the coming weeks to an agreement to take
0:24:28 > 0:24:34forward ended the withdrawal build, and which we can all welcome to
0:24:34 > 0:24:39being to our mutual benefit. As we look to our future, this is a
0:24:39 > 0:24:43balance that, working together, we can strike. A strong and fair
0:24:43 > 0:24:46devolution settlement for our devolved honours with power sitting
0:24:46 > 0:24:53at the most important level. Common frameworks where necessary with the
0:24:53 > 0:24:56constitutional integrity if attacked. By making that kind of
0:24:56 > 0:25:04agreement, we can truly become that United Kingdom we need to be here at
0:25:04 > 0:25:08all, and that greater stronger United Kingdom abroad. For that is
0:25:08 > 0:25:13the task we now face, to build a global Britain that is fit for the
0:25:13 > 0:25:17future, they could not only to tackle head-on future global
0:25:17 > 0:25:22challenges, but confident it can seize the opportunities available to
0:25:22 > 0:25:28us, and so we do speak and act on the world stage, we do so with one
0:25:28 > 0:25:30authoritative voice that both reflects and represents the
0:25:30 > 0:25:36interests of all four nations. A country that has the strength and
0:25:36 > 0:25:42flexibility to survive and even thrive on that international stage,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46and without considerable strength, I am confident that that future can be
0:25:46 > 0:25:51secure and prosperous. After all, we at the sixth largest economy in the
0:25:51 > 0:25:57world, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the
0:25:57 > 0:26:00biggest European defence spending in Nato with significant capabilities,
0:26:00 > 0:26:05and a proven readiness to deploy in defence of our interest. A key
0:26:05 > 0:26:11player in a highly developed sense of security relationships such as
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Five As. Our country has one of the best promoting services in the
0:26:15 > 0:26:20world, and one of the biggest aid and development programmes. We have
0:26:20 > 0:26:24one leading universities that attract the best talent from London
0:26:24 > 0:26:29the globe, more noble laureate that any country by the United States. A
0:26:29 > 0:26:32globally competitive economy with some exciting, burgeoning industries
0:26:32 > 0:26:37like digital. In language that is the language of the world, and
0:26:37 > 0:26:41thanks to institutions like the BBC and the National Health Service, the
0:26:41 > 0:26:46greatest soft power of any nation on the planet. But just imagine if we
0:26:46 > 0:26:53spoke with more conflicting voices, each misheard as a global
0:26:53 > 0:26:57competitors shouted louder, with the strong single voice, and a divided
0:26:57 > 0:27:05country at would be weaker, less secure, and prosperous overseas. The
0:27:05 > 0:27:08unity that exists between our four nations gives us is killer of
0:27:08 > 0:27:13ambition that none of the four of us could possess alone. We need to be
0:27:13 > 0:27:19using our collective economic clout and experience and reach of our
0:27:19 > 0:27:27diplomatic network in the United Kingdom to sell Scotch whiskey and
0:27:27 > 0:27:33engineering expertise, Welsh cheeses and many computers. Buses and levies
0:27:33 > 0:27:37from Northern Ireland right around the world. And maintaining the
0:27:37 > 0:27:42Common Market of United Kingdom will give us back the heft to lead the
0:27:42 > 0:27:52charge of common regulator of standards. We can be at the
0:27:52 > 0:27:55forefront of developing the regulatory environment we need for
0:27:55 > 0:27:59the exciting technologies after one. What the waters for an event as
0:27:59 > 0:28:11right across the four patients and to be ahead of the car. By sticking
0:28:11 > 0:28:17together, we will be able to provide global leadership, standing up and
0:28:17 > 0:28:24human rights, democratic values and the rule of law. And defending the
0:28:24 > 0:28:27rule-based international order that is so vital to our security and
0:28:27 > 0:28:31prosperity together. It would be easy to listen or even sever those
0:28:31 > 0:28:38boards that connect us back, but with a shrug demolition settlement
0:28:38 > 0:28:41that ensures powers of decision-making and exerted as close
0:28:41 > 0:28:46to people as is practical, I believe a sense of trust can be restored
0:28:46 > 0:28:49between the people of the United Kingdom and those they choose to
0:28:49 > 0:28:55govern on their behalf. And with common frameworks in place to
0:28:55 > 0:28:59maintain the integrity of argued, we can ensure we continue to speak with
0:28:59 > 0:29:02a powerful voice globally, each of those two principles strengthens the
0:29:02 > 0:29:09other. Let us seasonable wit and focus on the prize that is on offer.
0:29:09 > 0:29:15A good unit greater than the sum of its parts, a country that a strong
0:29:15 > 0:29:19global leader, a United Kingdom at home and an active force for good in
0:29:19 > 0:29:32the world. Thank you very much indeed.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37APPLAUSE
0:29:37 > 0:29:43We have got time for a number of questions. I'm going to go to the
0:29:43 > 0:29:52Airbus people before coming to the press.Good afternoon. I'm a trade
0:29:52 > 0:30:01union ret. Does the Government agreed with us that we need to be
0:30:01 > 0:30:10able to freely move part to our colleagues in Europe, and also
0:30:10 > 0:30:15regarding Airbus, a lot of people work inside the UK, and a lot of
0:30:15 > 0:30:18colleagues work outside the UK as well, what was it freely movement of
0:30:18 > 0:30:26labour look like going forward?It is one of a number of European
0:30:26 > 0:30:32bodies that we will want to have a means of staying close to. Clearly,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36those bodies are designed for EU members, and we will no longer be an
0:30:36 > 0:30:44EU member once exit has taken place at the end of March next year. But
0:30:44 > 0:30:49they were one of a number of bodies that came up in the conversation in
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Chequers last Friday, and it is something that the PM and other
0:30:52 > 0:30:57members of the Cabinet and indeed very focused on, and we recognise
0:30:57 > 0:31:01its importance to this company, but also to an number of other very
0:31:01 > 0:31:08important enterprises in the UK. Obviously, the exact nature of the
0:31:08 > 0:31:11relationship is something we will have to negotiate. About three
0:31:11 > 0:31:19moment, I think that again, in reality is that the freedoms of the
0:31:19 > 0:31:24EU are indivisible. They have been absolutely clear about that all the
0:31:24 > 0:31:31way along, and once we leave the EU, then a free movement rights as they
0:31:31 > 0:31:37currently exist under EU law will no longer apply. We will need to have
0:31:37 > 0:31:43in place and immigration system that will cover EU nationals who
0:31:43 > 0:31:48currently have the right to come and go in order to take work. We have
0:31:48 > 0:31:53been listening to what business is it saying to us about the importance
0:31:53 > 0:31:56of two thanks, about her international companies need to be
0:31:56 > 0:32:01able to move staff around between different locations in that
0:32:01 > 0:32:06international business from ten to ten, but also more generally in the
0:32:06 > 0:32:10economy, about how there are sectors with labour shortages, and they need
0:32:10 > 0:32:16to be able to have people in to fill those shortages. Without going into
0:32:16 > 0:32:20the big debates about how we need in Britain to do more in terms of
0:32:20 > 0:32:28upscaling the workforce and improving training, not just for
0:32:28 > 0:32:31school or college leavers, but throughout people posh cameras so
0:32:31 > 0:32:38there are fewer such labour shortages in the future, those
0:32:38 > 0:32:43points are ones that the Government recognises, so clearly, in designing
0:32:43 > 0:32:46a future migration relationship with ourselves and the EU and other
0:32:46 > 0:32:51countries outside of the EU, that will be in the very forefront of our
0:32:51 > 0:32:56thinking.
0:32:56 > 0:33:04Another Airbus question?I am French, working in Broughton, and my
0:33:04 > 0:33:09question was, what are your views regarding people from the Continent
0:33:09 > 0:33:13working in the UK as well as people from the UK working in other
0:33:13 > 0:33:21European countries?You do a great job, you're working, paying taxes,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24contributing to our society. I applaud what you and people from all
0:33:24 > 0:33:28other member states of the European Union have done in contributing to
0:33:28 > 0:33:34life in this country. The referendum to give political decision, but I
0:33:34 > 0:33:39think it's very important that, that decision having been taken, we
0:33:39 > 0:33:43recognise a positive contribution that you and other colleagues make
0:33:43 > 0:33:51and continue to make in our country. If I can move on, it is to bring
0:33:51 > 0:34:00real people and men become to the journalists?Sky first. You said
0:34:00 > 0:34:04there were many different reasons why people voted to leave. Do you
0:34:04 > 0:34:11think all of the 52% voted to leave the customs union? And I want to
0:34:11 > 0:34:16post your question posed by Jeremy Corbyn in his speech in Coventry. He
0:34:16 > 0:34:20said that, if the government position is to leave the customs
0:34:20 > 0:34:24union, then in which sectors of the economy and industry does the
0:34:24 > 0:34:27government think it would be acceptable for there to be tariffs
0:34:27 > 0:34:33between the UK and the EU?I think there are many different motives,
0:34:33 > 0:34:39but primarily a question of a sense that rules were being imposed on the
0:34:39 > 0:34:47United Kingdom. We had the argument about that at the time of the
0:34:47 > 0:34:51referendum, but that was the dominant theme of those voting to
0:34:51 > 0:34:58leave, in their comments. On leaving the customs union, but the Leader of
0:34:58 > 0:35:03the Opposition is ignoring is that the four freedoms and indivisible
0:35:03 > 0:35:10here. I read his speech this morning and I cannot find a coherent theme
0:35:10 > 0:35:18to it. I think that if you look at what the Prime Minister said in her
0:35:18 > 0:35:23Lancaster Has speech, she said very clearly there that we would not want
0:35:23 > 0:35:29to be part of the Common Commercial Policy and we wouldn't want to be
0:35:29 > 0:35:34part of the Common External Tariff, but we would look at an arrangement
0:35:34 > 0:35:38with our partners in the EU. That was the speech supported by
0:35:38 > 0:35:41everybody in the government and my side of the highs and parliaments,
0:35:41 > 0:35:51so that would be the approach we would continue to take. ITV?Angus
0:35:51 > 0:35:55Walker, ITV News. Many large firms like Airbus will welcome what label
0:35:55 > 0:36:01is suggesting on negotiating a Customs Union. Will you tell large
0:36:01 > 0:36:04films like Airbus if they support that Labour position that they are
0:36:04 > 0:36:08wrong? This is a speech about devolution, but you didn't go into
0:36:08 > 0:36:12detail about the Irish border. Do you think what the EU will see on
0:36:12 > 0:36:16the Irish border this week will be acceptable or are more talks on that
0:36:16 > 0:36:22issue required?On your second point, I'm afraid I do make it a
0:36:22 > 0:36:28rule that I will not speculate about texts that I haven't yet seen. We
0:36:28 > 0:36:33are talking both to the commission and the Irish are all the time about
0:36:33 > 0:36:43these and many other matters. On your first point, two points. One,
0:36:43 > 0:36:50we have always made it plain that our objective is to have the trading
0:36:50 > 0:36:55relationship that is as frictionless as it is possible to negotiate. It
0:36:55 > 0:36:59seems to me that, if you look for example at the balance of trading in
0:36:59 > 0:37:05goods between the EU 27 and the United Kingdom, which at the moment
0:37:05 > 0:37:10is strongly in favour of the EU 27, it is in everyone's interests that
0:37:10 > 0:37:16we have that outcome at the end of the day. On the Leader of the
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Opposition's points, I think he is ignoring some realities about the EU
0:37:19 > 0:37:28and how it operates in trade negotiations. I have been in EU
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Council meetings, where we have tried to thrash out the opening
0:37:32 > 0:37:35position for a free trade negotiation with the third country.
0:37:35 > 0:37:40That is done by unanimity. The idea that the EU would give a non-member
0:37:40 > 0:37:44state the right to veto their approach to the causation is utterly
0:37:44 > 0:37:59fanciful. BBC Scotland?BBC Scotland. You say you are making
0:37:59 > 0:38:03process with negotiations with the Scottish Government. They remain
0:38:03 > 0:38:08resolute that, as far as they're concerned, you are disrespecting the
0:38:08 > 0:38:12devolution settlement, because they argue that all powers in the
0:38:12 > 0:38:16Scottish Parliament should retain their and it should be those powers
0:38:16 > 0:38:20that be decide whether they are decided on the UK level. They say
0:38:20 > 0:38:23you are essentially playing fast and loose with the devolution
0:38:23 > 0:38:32settlement.Now, I think that would be a mistaken interpretation. Last
0:38:32 > 0:38:36week, we had constructive set of conversations with the Welsh and
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Scottish governments. We have not yet come to an agreement, but we
0:38:40 > 0:38:45have agreed to intensify those talks and take them further. There was a
0:38:45 > 0:38:50recognition by both devolved governments that the proposed change
0:38:50 > 0:38:54to the withdrawal bill but I put on the table did mark a very
0:38:54 > 0:39:01significant move from the UK. I hope we will bridge the final gap before
0:39:01 > 0:39:06too much longer. My argument has always been that we are determined
0:39:06 > 0:39:10to respect the devolution settlement in their entirety. When those
0:39:10 > 0:39:14devolution settlement were negotiated and then put into law
0:39:14 > 0:39:22back in 1998 and 1999 and subsequent legislation, it was done the
0:39:22 > 0:39:27assumption that everybody shared that there were certain powers that
0:39:27 > 0:39:32were not devolved. This question of how you dealt with a UK single
0:39:32 > 0:39:37market because it was all done as a European level. Now we have to work
0:39:37 > 0:39:41out how we make life easy for business but also their customers. I
0:39:41 > 0:39:46don't think businesses or customers in Scotland will benefit if there
0:39:46 > 0:39:49are extra barriers to stop and selling across the borders into
0:39:49 > 0:40:00England, Wales and Northern Ireland. BBC Wales?Given the shift from
0:40:00 > 0:40:06Labour in supporting a Customs Union, are you concerned your
0:40:06 > 0:40:11government is facing defeat on the amendment on the Customs Union in
0:40:11 > 0:40:15Parliament? One of your MPs described new offer on the
0:40:15 > 0:40:19withdrawal bill as a capitulation, but there's still no agreement with
0:40:19 > 0:40:23the Welsh government. So are you happy to go further?Are you happy
0:40:23 > 0:40:28to do so? On your second point, we add I Ching constructively with the
0:40:28 > 0:40:33Welsh government and the Scottish Government. Our objective is to
0:40:33 > 0:40:39reach a clear agreement and I think what we have that on the table is a
0:40:39 > 0:40:47very fair offer, which maintains the ability for us to legislate at
0:40:47 > 0:40:51Westminster, where there are United Kingdom interests involved. Both our
0:40:51 > 0:40:55international obligations and the need to protect the interests of
0:40:55 > 0:40:59businesses and consumers in the single market, while ensuring that
0:40:59 > 0:41:05the default position is that, where a power might be devolved, it would
0:41:05 > 0:41:12go automatically to the devolved level. On your first point, my first
0:41:12 > 0:41:16parliament, back in 1992-97 was a Conservative government with a very
0:41:16 > 0:41:20small majority and I'm afraid I got used to these rumours every week
0:41:20 > 0:41:26about whether the government will be defeated on this or that. I think
0:41:26 > 0:41:29that when my colleagues here the Prime Minister speak on Friday, they
0:41:29 > 0:41:33will be encouraged and reassured by what she has to say. Guardian?
0:41:33 > 0:41:42Stephen.What will you do to prove to the devolved government is that
0:41:42 > 0:41:45you will respect their views when it comes to developing yours within
0:41:45 > 0:41:54this common framework Western remarked how can you reassure them?
0:41:54 > 0:42:01It is one of the areas we are discussing at the moment. I have
0:42:01 > 0:42:05given a public commitment to that on many occasions. And I have actually
0:42:05 > 0:42:15put on the table some arrangements where we would write in so long a
0:42:15 > 0:42:20very specific requirements to consult and publish the results from
0:42:20 > 0:42:24consultation of the views of the devolved governments in Scotland,
0:42:24 > 0:42:29Wales and I hope Northern Ireland before too long. But also that we
0:42:29 > 0:42:34would write interval in requirement for the UK Government to report back
0:42:34 > 0:42:38to Parliament at very frequent intervals, perhaps every quarter, on
0:42:38 > 0:42:45why any of these powers to set frameworks was still being held at
0:42:45 > 0:42:50Westminster. I want to emphasise that the power to hold something
0:42:50 > 0:42:56back, pending the negotiating framework, is a power intended to be
0:42:56 > 0:43:01exercised as a backstop. It should only be used proportionately and
0:43:01 > 0:43:07tempered until the framework has been put in place. And by having a
0:43:07 > 0:43:14requirement for the UK Government to have a parliamentary report at very
0:43:14 > 0:43:19frequent intervals, I think would put the pressure on any government
0:43:19 > 0:43:21department in Whitehall that is perhaps dragging its feet because it
0:43:21 > 0:43:26has other business and it's not giving the devolution question is a
0:43:26 > 0:43:32top priority it needs to be given. We are very willing to continue
0:43:32 > 0:43:37talking about how we find institutional means of ensuring we
0:43:37 > 0:43:45really are delivering on a promise we have given.