Early General Election Debate

:00:25. > :00:33.We now come to the notion on the early parliamentary general election

:00:34. > :00:41.to move the motion, I call the Prime Minister. Thank you, and I beg to

:00:42. > :00:45.move the motion on the order paper in my name and that of my honourable

:00:46. > :00:50.friends. That mission confronts every member of this house with a

:00:51. > :00:53.clear and simple opportunity. A chance to vote for a general

:00:54. > :00:56.election that will secure the strong and stable leadership the country

:00:57. > :01:02.needs to see us through Brexit and beyond. Invite each one of us to do

:01:03. > :01:07.the right thing for Britain and to vote for an election that is in our

:01:08. > :01:11.country's national interest. The priority when I became Prime

:01:12. > :01:15.Minister was to provide the country with economic certainty, a clear

:01:16. > :01:20.vision and strongly the ship after the long and passionately fought

:01:21. > :01:29.referendum campaign. -- leadership. This Government has delivered on

:01:30. > :01:32.those priorities. I will. In the time-honoured fashion, my honourable

:01:33. > :01:36.friend have called this election in what she considers, and I consider

:01:37. > :01:39.to be the national interest at this moment. It will be a brave man or

:01:40. > :01:46.woman who vote against this notion and therefore the fixed term

:01:47. > :01:54.parliament act is seen to be and Emperor without clothes. It is not

:01:55. > :01:57.necessary. With the first act of the manifesto be to scrap it? My

:01:58. > :02:00.honourable friend is trying to tempt me down a road block what is clear

:02:01. > :02:05.is the fixed term parliament act does give us an opportunity,

:02:06. > :02:09.notwithstanding the fixed term part of it, to have an election at

:02:10. > :02:12.another time. It is for this house to vote for that election but, like

:02:13. > :02:16.my honourable friend, it is clear that every member of this house

:02:17. > :02:23.should be voting for the selection. If I just returned... I will take

:02:24. > :02:26.one more. The Prime Minister pledged time and time again not jubilant

:02:27. > :02:31.early election. In her ease the message, she is local to Christian

:02:32. > :02:35.values. The Prime Minister explain why she has such a ruse and

:02:36. > :02:44.obligated relationship with telling the truth? Order, order. -- loose

:02:45. > :02:49.and, located. The Prime Minister can fend for herself, but what the

:02:50. > :02:54.honourable gentleman has said is a breach. -- complicated. He is

:02:55. > :03:02.versatile in the use of language, withdraw that and use some other

:03:03. > :03:07.population if you must. Withdraw. I will withdraw and reformulate. Why

:03:08. > :03:11.does the Prime Minister have such a complicated and loose relationship

:03:12. > :03:18.with giving the country a clear indication of her intentions? To say

:03:19. > :03:22.to the honourable gentleman, I think yesterday I have given the country a

:03:23. > :03:26.very clear indication of my intentions and, if he has a little

:03:27. > :03:31.patience, he will hear the reasons why I have done so. As I say, the

:03:32. > :03:35.Government has delivered on the priorities I set out last year

:03:36. > :03:39.despite predictions of financial and economic danger, we have seen

:03:40. > :03:44.consumer confidence remain- the referendum, growth of jobs and

:03:45. > :03:48.economic growth exceeding all recommendations. At the same time,

:03:49. > :03:51.we have delivered on a mandate to red-handed by triggering article 50

:03:52. > :03:58.before the end of March as he pledged to do. We are leaving the EU

:03:59. > :04:03.and there can be no turning back. I well. Doesn't it take some brass

:04:04. > :04:12.neck to call a general election when you are facing allegations of buying

:04:13. > :04:18.the last one? I have to say, that intervention was not worthy of the

:04:19. > :04:24.honourable gentleman. Can the Prime Minister just clarify if you support

:04:25. > :04:30.term parliament? -- if she supports. We have an action that allows us to

:04:31. > :04:33.have fixed term parliament. I believe it is right for us to have

:04:34. > :04:38.this debate, have this vote in this house and I believe it is right for

:04:39. > :04:43.members of this house to vote and I will explain why, for us to have a

:04:44. > :04:46.general collection at this time. I will not take any further

:04:47. > :04:50.interventions for a while. This is a limited time debate and honourable

:04:51. > :04:57.members wish to make contributions. Today, we face a new question, how

:04:58. > :05:01.best to secure the certainty we need over the long term to get the right

:05:02. > :05:05.deal for Britain in Brexit negotiations and make the most of

:05:06. > :05:09.the opportunities ahead. I've come to the conclusion that the answer to

:05:10. > :05:12.that question is to hold a general election now in this window of

:05:13. > :05:18.opportunity before the negotiations begin. I believe it is in prison's

:05:19. > :05:23.national interest to hold an election now, a general election is

:05:24. > :05:25.the best way to strengthen Britain's and any negotiations ahead because

:05:26. > :05:31.securing the right deal for Britain is my priority and I'm confident

:05:32. > :05:38.that we have the plan to do so. We have set out, and vision, a deep and

:05:39. > :05:40.special partnership between a strong and successful European Union and

:05:41. > :05:46.the United Kingdom that is free to chart its own way in the world. --

:05:47. > :05:51.la ambition. It means they will regain control of our own money,

:05:52. > :05:56.laws and borders. We will be free to strike trade deals with old friends

:05:57. > :05:59.and new partners around the world. I give way. I'm grateful to the Prime

:06:00. > :06:02.Minister forgiving way and I understand she wants to give you

:06:03. > :06:06.have the opportunity to determine whether the should be an election.

:06:07. > :06:11.If they have the Germans now is the time, why will be Prime Minister

:06:12. > :06:18.stand in the face of the Scottish Government that about it for a

:06:19. > :06:21.referendum on Scottish future. -- have decided that now is the time.

:06:22. > :06:28.Why should the Scottish people not be given either as well? Now is the

:06:29. > :06:33.time for a general election because it will strengthen our negotiations

:06:34. > :06:34.in Brexit. Now is not the time for a second Scottish independence

:06:35. > :06:39.referendum because it will weaken our hand in negotiations in Brexit.

:06:40. > :06:43.Strength and unity with the Conservatives in the division and

:06:44. > :06:51.weakness with the Scottish Nationalists. I will just make more

:06:52. > :06:55.progress. I believe this delivers on the will of the British people. Our

:06:56. > :06:59.client Brexit is the right approach and will deliver a more secure

:07:00. > :07:04.future for our country and a better deal for all our people. It is

:07:05. > :07:08.Claire, Mr Speaker... Just a minute, that other parties have a different

:07:09. > :07:13.view about the right future for our country. -- clear. Members of the

:07:14. > :07:17.other place have vowed to fight our Government every step of the way. I

:07:18. > :07:20.thank my honourable friend forgiving way, the people of Rossendale and

:07:21. > :07:24.Darling in the referendum gave her and her Government and mandate to

:07:25. > :07:29.trigger article 50. She has done that. We are grateful to

:07:30. > :07:34.strengthening her hand so she can get out there, get the best possible

:07:35. > :07:39.deal but people living in Rossendale and Darwen, manufacturers there and

:07:40. > :07:43.every family. My honourable friend is right and we should be united in

:07:44. > :07:47.this Parliament in wanting to get back at possible deal, not just for

:07:48. > :07:51.the country as a whole but everybody across the whole of this country. I

:07:52. > :07:55.commend my honourable friend for the work he has done in Rossendale and

:07:56. > :07:58.Darwen in supporting his constituents on this. I will give

:07:59. > :08:05.way to the honourable gentleman and then make progress.

:08:06. > :08:12.I can see how it suits your purpose is to make this about Brexit, but

:08:13. > :08:16.can she accept that it may become a referendum on how brutal costs which

:08:17. > :08:20.have left older people without care, schools sending begging letters to

:08:21. > :08:26.parents and a record number of homeless people on the streets of

:08:27. > :08:29.Greater Manchester. I have to say to the right honourable gentleman, of

:08:30. > :08:33.course, when we come into the campaign, people will be looking at

:08:34. > :08:39.the wide range of issues. They will look at the fact that pensioners are

:08:40. > :08:45.?1200 better off, they will look at the fact that we have 1.8 million

:08:46. > :08:49.more children in schools, but if the right honourable gentleman wants to

:08:50. > :08:53.talk about impact on the economy, I suggest she searches in his memory

:08:54. > :08:56.for the time he spent as Chief Secretary to the Treasury when

:08:57. > :09:02.Labour were trashing the economy of this country. Mr Speaker, no, I'm

:09:03. > :09:08.going to mix in progress. I have set out the divisions that have become

:09:09. > :09:12.clear on this issue. They can and will be used against us, weakening

:09:13. > :09:16.our hand in the negotiations to come and we must not let that happen. I

:09:17. > :09:21.believe that at this moment of enormous national significance, this

:09:22. > :09:25.should be unity here in Westminster, not division. That's why the right

:09:26. > :09:30.and responsible thing for all of us here today to vote for a general

:09:31. > :09:34.election, to make our respective cases to the country and then to

:09:35. > :09:37.respect the result and the mandate it provides to give Britain the

:09:38. > :09:45.strongest possible hand in the negotiations to come. I give way. In

:09:46. > :09:48.the last election, the Conservatives gave a manifesto commitment to stay

:09:49. > :09:53.in the single market, will she be with drying that commitment any new

:09:54. > :10:03.manifesto and if she does, will that weaken her negotiation position? We

:10:04. > :10:06.gave a commitment in the last manifesto to provide the people of

:10:07. > :10:09.the United Kingdom with a boat on whether or not leave the European

:10:10. > :10:14.Union. We give them that old, that was supported by Parliament, we give

:10:15. > :10:17.them up but they give a clear message that they want the United

:10:18. > :10:21.Kingdom to leave the European Union and that is exactly what we are

:10:22. > :10:27.going to do. I fully support the fact that she needs a stronger hand

:10:28. > :10:31.going into the negotiations as we leave the European Union. Does she

:10:32. > :10:35.not think it prefers that some people who didn't want a referendum

:10:36. > :10:40.in the first place and I want a second wreck around at the very end

:10:41. > :10:45.of the procedure, just in case the British Government doesn't get a

:10:46. > :10:49.good deal from Brussels. -- second referendum. Doesn't she believe that

:10:50. > :10:52.if we had that, it would deeply weaken the position of the Prime

:10:53. > :10:56.Minister in a position she has with the European Union? My friend is

:10:57. > :11:01.absolutely right in his description of what would happen and I think of

:11:02. > :11:06.those who want a second round friend, that is denying the will of

:11:07. > :11:09.the people, because people voted for us to leave the European Union and

:11:10. > :11:14.we are going to go out there and get the best possible deal. Waiting to

:11:15. > :11:18.hold the next election in 2020 as scheduled would mean the

:11:19. > :11:20.negotiations would reach their most difficult and sensitive stage, just

:11:21. > :11:25.as election was looming on the horizon. A general election will

:11:26. > :11:29.provide the country with five years of strong and stable leadership to

:11:30. > :11:32.see us through negotiations and is sure we are able to go on to major

:11:33. > :11:38.success as a result. That is crucial. That is the test. It is not

:11:39. > :11:41.solely about how we reach the European Union, but what we do with

:11:42. > :11:47.the opportunity that Brexit provides that counts. Leaving the EU offers

:11:48. > :11:50.us a unique, once in a generation opportunity to shape a brighter

:11:51. > :11:55.future for Britain. We need the leadership provided by a strong and

:11:56. > :11:58.stable Government to seize it, a Government that has a plan for a

:11:59. > :12:01.stronger Britain, a Government that the determination to see it through

:12:02. > :12:05.and the Government that will take the right long-term decisions that

:12:06. > :12:09.will deliver a more secure future for Britain. The Conservative Party

:12:10. > :12:16.I read is determined to be that Government. Is the Prime Minister at

:12:17. > :12:22.all concerned that having tried her best to build up a reputation for

:12:23. > :12:27.little integrity, but as Home Secretary and pay minister, she has

:12:28. > :12:34.no scene after all these denials there will be a snap election,

:12:35. > :12:38.simply as a political opportunist. I have not denied the fact that when I

:12:39. > :12:41.came into this role as Prime Minister, I was clear that what the

:12:42. > :12:44.country needed was stability and the also needed a Government that was

:12:45. > :12:48.going to show that it would deliver on the boat people had taken any

:12:49. > :12:52.referendum on meeting the EU. We have provided that over the last

:12:53. > :12:56.nine months. Now it is clear to me that if we are going to have the

:12:57. > :12:59.strongest possible hand in negotiation, we should have an

:13:00. > :13:05.election now. As I have just said, leaving in 2020, would mean that we

:13:06. > :13:08.are coming to be more sensitive and critical part of the negotiations in

:13:09. > :13:12.the run-up to a general election and that would be a nobody 's interest.

:13:13. > :13:17.Except that the Conservative Party that I read is determined to that

:13:18. > :13:22.Government, that has the determination to see through its

:13:23. > :13:24.plan for a stronger Britain, we are determined to provide that

:13:25. > :13:28.readership and bring stability to the United Kingdom in a long time

:13:29. > :13:38.and that is what this election will be about, leadership and stability.

:13:39. > :13:41.Does the Prime Minister appreciate decisiveness? And as she agree that

:13:42. > :13:50.voting yes in this motion signifies strength, whereas a staining is a

:13:51. > :13:54.symbol of weakness? -- ab staining. I think absolutely doubled in years

:13:55. > :14:02.is a sign of strength. I would say a little bit more about it, but I

:14:03. > :14:06.think anybody who thinks we should not, is endorsing the record of the

:14:07. > :14:13.Conservative Government. Would she agree with the Lord Hill, who was a

:14:14. > :14:17.commissioner in Europe, when asked in fund the Foreign Affairs

:14:18. > :14:21.Committee what the best strategy for negotiation is, his response was

:14:22. > :14:25.that we have to come together, because our interlocutors will be

:14:26. > :14:30.watching this place, they were absolutely exploit any weakness in

:14:31. > :14:35.our political system? My honourable friend is absolutely right and I am

:14:36. > :14:37.grateful to him for reminding us what the Lord said with his

:14:38. > :14:41.experience in relation to this issue. It is important that we come

:14:42. > :14:46.together and we don't show that divisions that have been suggested

:14:47. > :14:50.in in the past and that we are able to stroll a strong mandate for

:14:51. > :14:55.Brexit and make a success of that. We are determined to bring stability

:14:56. > :14:58.to the United Kingdom in a long time, that is what this election

:14:59. > :15:03.will be about, leadership and stability will stop the decision

:15:04. > :15:06.facing the country will be clear. I will be campaigning for a strong

:15:07. > :15:09.leadership with me as Prime Minister and I will be asking for the public

:15:10. > :15:16.support to continue to deliver my plan for a stronger Britain to lead

:15:17. > :15:18.the country through the next five years and to give the country the

:15:19. > :15:26.certainty and stability that we need. I think the Prime Minister for

:15:27. > :15:31.giving way. On the timetable before yesterday, the Prime Minister would

:15:32. > :15:36.have concluded her negotiation by 2019, we would have gone into the

:15:37. > :15:39.general election 2020 a year later talking about the Prime Minister's

:15:40. > :15:43.deal. That would have given the country and outlook as to what they

:15:44. > :15:46.would be voting for. The Prime Minister is asking the country to

:15:47. > :15:56.strengthen her hand. What she is actually doing is asking the country

:15:57. > :15:59.to vote for a blank cheque. No, we are not asking the country to write

:16:00. > :16:04.a blank cheque. We have been very clear about what we intend, I set

:16:05. > :16:07.that out in my Lancaster house speech in January. It has been set

:16:08. > :16:15.out in the White Paper, in the article said the letter, that we

:16:16. > :16:17.triggered and submitted to the president of the European Council.

:16:18. > :16:22.Can I say to be how is that the choice before us today is clear, I

:16:23. > :16:26.have made my choice. It is to do something that run through the veins

:16:27. > :16:32.of my party more than ever. It's a choice to trust the people. Let us

:16:33. > :16:37.but to do that today. Let us lay out our plans for Brexit. Let us put

:16:38. > :16:40.forward our plans for the future of this great country. Let us put our

:16:41. > :16:45.faith in the hands of the people and let the people decide.

:16:46. > :16:53.CHEERING Order, the question is that there

:16:54. > :16:59.shall be a dot-mac and early parliamentary general election. Mr

:17:00. > :17:03.Jeremy Corbyn. Thank you, Mr Speaker. We welcome the opportunity

:17:04. > :17:06.of a general election, because it gives the British people the chance

:17:07. > :17:12.to vote for a Labour Government that will put the interests of the

:17:13. > :17:17.majority first. The Prime Minister says she has only recently and

:17:18. > :17:23.reluctantly decided to go for a snap election. Just four weeks ago, the

:17:24. > :17:28.Prime Minister's spokesperson said and I quote, there isn't going to be

:17:29. > :17:34.an early general election. How can any voter trust what the Prime

:17:35. > :17:37.Minister says? Britain is being held back by her Government. The Prime

:17:38. > :17:42.Minister talks about a strong economy, but the truth is, most

:17:43. > :17:47.people are worse off than they were when the Conservatives came to power

:17:48. > :17:52.seven years ago. The election of the British people the chance to change

:17:53. > :17:55.direction. This election is about her Government's failure to be build

:17:56. > :18:04.the economy and living standards for the majority. It is about the crisis

:18:05. > :18:07.her Government has plunged our National Health Service into, the

:18:08. > :18:13.cuts to our children's schools which will limit the chances of every

:18:14. > :18:20.child in Britain, 4 million of whom are now live in poverty. A chance of

:18:21. > :18:23.an alternative to raise living standards, as more and more people

:18:24. > :18:36.do not have security in their work or over their housing.

:18:37. > :18:50.THEY SPEAK OVER EACH OTHER I give away to my friend.

:18:51. > :19:02.Thank you very much. I try not to take it personally that having

:19:03. > :19:07.arrived so early, the Prime Minister is so desperate to get rid of me she

:19:08. > :19:11.is calling an election. Would my honourable friend agreed that the

:19:12. > :19:14.Prime Minister, in calling this election, has essentially said she

:19:15. > :19:19.doesn't have confidence in her own Government to deliver a Brexit deal

:19:20. > :19:23.for Britain and one way she could security vote is to table a motion

:19:24. > :19:30.of no confidence in her own country, which I will happily vote for. I

:19:31. > :19:34.thank my friend for that intervention. I congratulate him on

:19:35. > :19:37.his election to this House and I congratulate him on his work and a

:19:38. > :19:46.agree with him. I have no confidence in the Government either. In the

:19:47. > :19:55.interests of unity in Stoke-on-Trent, what else can I do?

:19:56. > :19:59.I'm grateful to my Right Honourable Friend. He highlighted the fact that

:20:00. > :20:03.the Prime Minister for 12 months dithered over whether she wanted an

:20:04. > :20:07.election and at all times say she did not want one. But isn't the

:20:08. > :20:10.reality that what has focused her mind is the fact that she may well

:20:11. > :20:17.lose some of her backbenchers if the CPS have her way? I thank my friend

:20:18. > :20:21.for that intervention. The timing of that intervention and the rule of

:20:22. > :20:25.the CPS is extremely interesting and it's interesting that the Prime

:20:26. > :20:33.Minister did not mention it during her contribution. I give way to the

:20:34. > :20:38.gentleman here. He talks about trust in leaders, what trust any public

:20:39. > :20:41.but in a leader who has no confidence from his parliamentary

:20:42. > :20:47.colleagues and is in place by people who are not in Parliament, but from

:20:48. > :20:54.people who are outside? Mr Speaker, I was elected leader of my party by

:20:55. > :21:03.300,000 votes, I don't know how many people voted for the Prime Minister

:21:04. > :21:08.to be leader of her party. Non-! I suspect it was actually none

:21:09. > :21:11.whatsoever. So, Mr Speaker, to be 6 million people working in jobs that

:21:12. > :21:15.pay less than the living wage, I simply say this, it doesn't have to

:21:16. > :21:20.be like this, because Labour believes that every job should pay a

:21:21. > :21:25.wage you can live on and every worker should have decent rights at

:21:26. > :21:30.work. To the millions of people who can't afford a home of their own or

:21:31. > :21:35.have spent years waiting for a council home, this is your chance to

:21:36. > :21:44.vote for the home of your family deserves. Because we believe a

:21:45. > :21:48.housing policy should provide homes for all, not investment

:21:49. > :21:56.opportunities for a feud. To the millions of small businesses that up

:21:57. > :22:00.with red tape, hikes in business rates, broken promises on national

:22:01. > :22:05.insurance contributions, this is your chance to vote for a Government

:22:06. > :22:13.that invests and that supports wealth creators, not just the wealth

:22:14. > :22:17.extractors. Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister says she has called the

:22:18. > :22:21.elections of the Government can negotiate Brexit. We had a

:22:22. > :22:28.referendum, that establish that mandate. Parliament has voted to

:22:29. > :22:33.accept that result. There is no obstacle, there is no obstacle to

:22:34. > :22:37.the Government is negotiating, but instead of getting on with the job,

:22:38. > :22:43.she is paving herself as the prisoner of the Lib Dems. Who

:22:44. > :22:46.apparently have threatened to grind Government to a standstill. Mr

:22:47. > :22:53.Speaker, there are nine of them and they managed to vote three different

:22:54. > :23:00.ways on article 15. So, is obviously a very serious threat indeed. The

:23:01. > :23:08.Tories want to use the exit to turn us into a low-wage tax haven. Labour

:23:09. > :23:15.will use Brexit to invest in every part of this country. To create a

:23:16. > :23:26.high wage, high skilled economy in which everyone shares the rewards.

:23:27. > :23:33.My minister also says this campaign will be a man readership, so let's

:23:34. > :23:39.have a head to head TV debate about the future of our country. -- in the

:23:40. > :23:50.Prime Minister. -- about leadership. Why reject that request? Mr Speaker,

:23:51. > :24:00.a waiver of. We want rich lives for all. -- labour offers a better

:24:01. > :24:11.future. Not a life for the rich. Order. Giving way to the honourable

:24:12. > :24:19.gentleman. Order. Order. Order! Other! I've learn the honourable

:24:20. > :24:22.gentleman from more than 30 years since we do against each other in a

:24:23. > :24:27.student collection. He's not going to take it personally. Order. The

:24:28. > :24:35.honourable gentleman has completed his speech, he wants the point, I

:24:36. > :24:37.will hear it with On a point of order, is that it?

:24:38. > :24:54.CHEERING It is very generous of the right

:24:55. > :24:57.Honourable gentleman to seek to invest me with additional powers,

:24:58. > :25:01.but the question of whether it is it, as he puts it, is not a matter

:25:02. > :25:05.for me, it is a matter for the honourable gentleman and he has

:25:06. > :25:13.completed his contribution. Sir Desmond Swain. Mr Speaker, I accept

:25:14. > :25:19.entirely the logic that was laid out by my honourable friend and heard

:25:20. > :25:22.statement yesterday in Downing Street. What I can say is that I

:25:23. > :25:32.read that conclusion somewhat earlier. However, I just thought the

:25:33. > :25:36.-- did not believe it was possible to deliver. I found myself

:25:37. > :25:39.discombobulated by a reversal in Government Public policy for the

:25:40. > :25:43.second time in a pew weeks, having told the readers of the Forest

:25:44. > :25:51.Journal in terms that there was no question of there being an early

:25:52. > :25:56.general election. Because it was not in the Prime Minister's gift to

:25:57. > :26:02.deliver it. Because of the fixed term act, that decision lies with a

:26:03. > :26:07.majority of two thirds of the members of the House of Commons. As

:26:08. > :26:14.I told them with absolute confidence, turkeys and will not

:26:15. > :26:19.vote for Christmas. I congratulate my honourable friend having achieved

:26:20. > :26:24.the impossible and secured the fact that two day, there's turkeys will

:26:25. > :26:30.indeed vote for that. The reason why I read the opinion that I did, that

:26:31. > :26:35.election was necessary, was firstly, during the passage and the debate on

:26:36. > :26:42.the article 50 bill, member after member opposite got up and announced

:26:43. > :26:48.their recantation, notwithstanding having voted to remain, they were

:26:49. > :26:54.now going to abide by the will of their constituents. Yet at every

:26:55. > :27:00.opportunity, they cheered to the rafters and there is you who start

:27:01. > :27:06.out and said they remained with the 48% and believed that, so preceding,

:27:07. > :27:13.as events unfolded, that 48% would become a majority. They pursued a

:27:14. > :27:16.strategy of desperation, a strategy of, hang on, something might turn

:27:17. > :27:25.up, whether that something was the long promised economic shock or

:27:26. > :27:30.whatever. But that strategy of... Hang all in, requires an essential

:27:31. > :27:34.ingredient, delays. Delay was the tactic that they clearly pursued

:27:35. > :27:37.throughout the preceding of that bill with the amendments that they

:27:38. > :27:42.table and they promised that there would be more. With respect to the

:27:43. > :27:50.other place, the other place is not bound currently in respect of the

:27:51. > :27:52.Government's policy by the Salisbury Convention. My honourable friend,

:27:53. > :28:00.the member from North Norfolk and I were invited to bid their -- debate

:28:01. > :28:09.in front of a city audience the notion that the United Kingdom is

:28:10. > :28:14.leaving the EU. Two highly respected peers, the Lord Butler, former

:28:15. > :28:18.Cabinet Secretary and Lord Lester, one of our premier human rights

:28:19. > :28:24.lawyers, argued the case that they would not leave the European Union

:28:25. > :28:30.because they were in a position to prevent it and would do so. It is

:28:31. > :28:34.essential, therefore, I believe, that the policy be Prime Minister

:28:35. > :28:40.has announced of pursuing a general election and securing a mandate in

:28:41. > :28:44.this house, and a mandate to bind the other house in respect of the

:28:45. > :28:47.Salisbury convention, is absolutely necessary. I'm confident that she

:28:48. > :28:51.will achieve that majority because I'm confident that she will be

:28:52. > :28:59.backed by the overwhelming majority of this nation, a few, as ING will

:29:00. > :29:04.now, I voted for every other possible candidate for the

:29:05. > :29:11.leadership of the Tory party last year in order to avoid becoming

:29:12. > :29:21.leader. I had to tell her that I have become the greatest fan. As my

:29:22. > :29:27.constituents recognise and tell me continuously, she is being

:29:28. > :29:36.magnificently and made Geelong continue to do so. Angus Robertson.

:29:37. > :29:42.Thank you. The Prime Minister has said that she wants unity and she

:29:43. > :29:47.has said that she wants an end to division, and she intends to do that

:29:48. > :29:51.by crushing opposition. With political opponents described as

:29:52. > :29:56.saboteurs. Something I invited her earlier to take a distance from, but

:29:57. > :30:00.she was not prepared to. This is not a vision or an understanding of

:30:01. > :30:06.mainstream democracy that I share with the Prime Minister. For months,

:30:07. > :30:12.we have heard from her that now is not the time for the public to vote,

:30:13. > :30:17.no one wants it, it is important to get on with the day job. We have

:30:18. > :30:22.been told that the Prime Minister needs to concentrate all of her time

:30:23. > :30:31.on Brexit negotiations and that not being should get in the way. --

:30:32. > :30:36.nothing. As we have all the renewal at 24-hour, although that was empty

:30:37. > :30:41.rhetoric. There are two key reasons why there is going to be a general

:30:42. > :30:46.election and the first is totally politically expedient, it is about

:30:47. > :30:50.the woeful on electoral -- unelectable state of the Labour

:30:51. > :30:56.Party and that is a reason of political expediency to hold an

:30:57. > :31:00.election. It is about not wanting to repeat the political error Gordon

:31:01. > :31:04.Brown made and she was to receive her own mandate and crushed

:31:05. > :31:08.political opposition in England. The second reason for holding an early

:31:09. > :31:13.general election is that it has finally dawned on the UK covenant

:31:14. > :31:17.that the Brexit negotiations will be very difficult. -- Government. The

:31:18. > :31:21.realities of the hard Brexit the Prime Minister is pursuing have not

:31:22. > :31:27.yet fully dawned on the public. As one commentator wrote... Just a

:31:28. > :31:31.moment, I will make progress. As one commentator wrote to date, the EU

:31:32. > :31:37.will not roll over and give the UK free and frictionless access to the

:31:38. > :31:41.internal market. The Prime Minister is cutting and running, getting a

:31:42. > :31:45.vote in before the reality of hard Brexit hit home. Can I tell the

:31:46. > :31:51.Prime Minister that, while she thinks she can get her way with all

:31:52. > :31:57.of this begins the Labour Party in England, she will not get away with

:31:58. > :32:02.this in Scotland. I thank him for giving way. On the subject of hard

:32:03. > :32:05.Brexit, that they agree with me that it is incumbent on those advocating

:32:06. > :32:10.it to set out very clearly what their assessment of the impact on

:32:11. > :32:15.jobs will be of us coming out of the single market and the customs union.

:32:16. > :32:17.Of course, that would be an opportunity in a normal general

:32:18. > :32:22.election campaign whereby party leaders actually debate the issues

:32:23. > :32:25.and record for them to have but there has been an interesting

:32:26. > :32:30.developments in the debate and I have noticed colleagues looking at

:32:31. > :32:36.their mobile phones because IGD has confirmed that there is going to be

:32:37. > :32:40.a leaders debate. -- ITV. I'm looking at other party leaders, the

:32:41. > :32:44.Leader of the Opposition, is he intending to take part? I suspect he

:32:45. > :32:49.will probably take part in a television debate. No doubt the Lido

:32:50. > :32:56.of the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, and colleagues. -- the

:32:57. > :33:01.leader. It is unsustainable in the 21st century, in the multimedia age,

:33:02. > :33:08.to get to the country and not debate with the leaders of the parties. The

:33:09. > :33:12.notion that the UK Prime Minister might be an key chair and because he

:33:13. > :33:17.is not prepared to stand up for their argument is not sustainable.

:33:18. > :33:25.-- empty chaired. Perhaps the honourable gentleman might take her

:33:26. > :33:29.place instead. As I said in the house yesterday, I hope that the

:33:30. > :33:35.Prime Minister does go ahead to head with the leaders of other parties.

:33:36. > :33:44.It's quite simple, she would football them all! -- floor. No she

:33:45. > :33:48.would not. I don't think she would manage that with Nicola Sturgeon. I

:33:49. > :33:53.am surprised and I do welcome that the honourable gentleman had to say

:33:54. > :33:58.in encouragement to the Prime Minister because I think the public

:33:59. > :34:00.deserves a debate, more than one, during the election campaign and I

:34:01. > :34:05.think the prime ministers should have more confidence in herself. She

:34:06. > :34:08.should be prepared to address the country and debate the idea that all

:34:09. > :34:15.different political parties across the UK have. We have already

:34:16. > :34:19.learned, of course, in Scotland, that the Prime Minister is preferred

:34:20. > :34:23.to ignore the mandate and wishes of the Scottish electorate, the

:34:24. > :34:29.Scottish Parliament and of the Scottish Government. Why would

:34:30. > :34:32.anyone in Scotland... I need to make progress. Why would anyone in

:34:33. > :34:38.Scotland vote for such a dismissive and disrespectful party and Prime

:34:39. > :34:41.Minister? I need to make some progress. Time is limited. I will

:34:42. > :34:45.try to take some interventions later. The Prime Minister promised

:34:46. > :34:49.she would have a unified approach with all of the devolved governments

:34:50. > :34:56.and agreement before triggering Brexit. She did not. She broke her

:34:57. > :35:01.words. As we have learned in recent weeks, in connection with the

:35:02. > :35:09.appalling rate clause, the one thing that the Tories don't like talking

:35:10. > :35:12.about is Tory policy. -- rape. This election will highlight the dangers

:35:13. > :35:19.of unfettered jewellery Government and we live in one of the most...

:35:20. > :35:25.Countries in the developing world but the Tories want to make it more

:35:26. > :35:29.unfair. Experts say there will be an increase in inequality since the

:35:30. > :35:32.days of Margaret Thatcher. I'm happy to give way to the leader of the

:35:33. > :35:38.Green Party. I'm grateful. Does he agree with me that if this election

:35:39. > :35:43.is, as the prime ministers said, about a more secure future for this

:35:44. > :35:46.country, if it is of national significance, we should have an

:35:47. > :35:52.urgent change in the law to give Britain's 1.5 million 16-17

:35:53. > :35:58.-year-olds a say in what will be very much their future on the 8th of

:35:59. > :36:03.June. As someone who gave his maiden speech about enfranchising 16 and

:36:04. > :36:06.17-year-olds, I totally agree. It is unsustainable that young people have

:36:07. > :36:11.been given leave out some elections and referenda but should be denied

:36:12. > :36:17.it in others. I returned. I give way. I'm most grateful. He'll be

:36:18. > :36:22.aware that the Supreme Court made it abundantly clear and all the judges

:36:23. > :36:27.decided on a unanimous basis that issues concerning Brexit

:36:28. > :36:30.negotiations should be determined by this Hallows which represents the

:36:31. > :36:37.whole of the United Kingdom. This was not an issue to be decided by

:36:38. > :36:41.any devolved institution. -- house which part party have a problem

:36:42. > :36:44.understanding? The thing I have a difficulty understanding of the

:36:45. > :36:50.commitment that the Prime Minister gave authority gave eventually came

:36:51. > :36:53.to Edinburgh, it was an the front page of the Daily Telegraph, it was

:36:54. > :36:56.in terms that she wanted to seek a UK wide approach an agreement with

:36:57. > :37:00.the Government. The honourable gentleman might wish to rewrites

:37:01. > :37:07.history but the Prime Minister gave a commitment to reach an agreement,

:37:08. > :37:10.she did not reach it. The fixed term Parliament act was supposed to stop

:37:11. > :37:15.political parties are abusing their position and putting party before

:37:16. > :37:21.country. Today, the Tories will do just that. Sadly, the Labour Party

:37:22. > :37:26.is going to bed with the Tories and make life easy for them. We on these

:37:27. > :37:31.benches will not vary with the Tories. -- vote. Giving the reality

:37:32. > :37:43.that the Labour Party well, there will be a general election and, boy,

:37:44. > :37:47.we look forward to that! Because in Scotland,... Sign in order! Mr

:37:48. > :37:55.Morris, normally you have a very emollient manner. Very restrained in

:37:56. > :38:01.the past, but you have become excited. Take a soothing indignant,

:38:02. > :38:05.it will have a good impact on you. Thank you. In Scotland, the general

:38:06. > :38:09.election will be a two horse race, a straight fight between the Tories.

:38:10. > :38:14.Do I think that mainstream Scots regardless of whether they voted

:38:15. > :38:20.remain or leave will vote for a hard Tory Brexit? I do not. Will they

:38:21. > :38:25.vote for more austerity and cuts to public services? No. Well most Scots

:38:26. > :38:29.like a party that actively undermining the mandate already

:38:30. > :38:34.given by the doubters in a Scottish general election? For people in

:38:35. > :38:40.Scotland to determine their own future? No, I do not. We, on these

:38:41. > :38:46.benches, worked hard for every vote in every seat in Scotland and we

:38:47. > :38:46.look forward to defeating the Tories in this general election.

:38:47. > :39:00.CHEERING There are at least ten people who

:39:01. > :39:06.want to speak. It would be appreciated if each Member would

:39:07. > :39:10.help other members, tailoring his or her contribution accordingly. I

:39:11. > :39:14.welcome the courage that the Prime Minister has shown in taking this

:39:15. > :39:19.question to the public. Who is that they are expecting to lead the

:39:20. > :39:24.country for the next five years? I have to say, having followed the

:39:25. > :39:26.last Speaker, it will not be the right honourable gentleman for

:39:27. > :39:32.Moray. I think the public will have to think long and hard, because

:39:33. > :39:38.Brexit is happening. This is not about... No, this is very

:39:39. > :39:42.time-limited. This is not about us in here. This is about delivering

:39:43. > :39:47.the future for the British public that they deserve. This is about

:39:48. > :39:51.delivering the best possible outcome to this country as we leave the

:39:52. > :39:56.European Union. I know that when we have that election on June eight,

:39:57. > :40:00.there will be individual members here who may well find themselves in

:40:01. > :40:04.difficulties with their constituency. For whatever reasons

:40:05. > :40:08.they have expressed about the readership, I'm proud to be standing

:40:09. > :40:13.behind a Prime Minister who has made it brutally clear that this is not

:40:14. > :40:20.about making games in this place. This is about delivering a Brexit

:40:21. > :40:28.that is the good of the European... LAUGHTER

:40:29. > :40:31.Well, it is about that as well. Getting her relationship with the

:40:32. > :40:35.European Union in the future is going to be incredibly important.

:40:36. > :40:39.This will be the question posed, of the leaders that could be the Prime

:40:40. > :40:42.Minister, that is what we are going to be asking the country, does this

:40:43. > :40:50.country believe that the leader for Islington North to delete this

:40:51. > :40:54.country? I suspect a large number of colleagues on his own backbenchers

:40:55. > :40:57.would say no and I would suggest that the businesses in my

:40:58. > :41:07.constituency would equally say no. Does the leader for... Sorry,

:41:08. > :41:10.Westmorland and Lonsdale, his voting record and attendance in this House

:41:11. > :41:14.along with his colleagues is generally pretty low, there are two

:41:15. > :41:16.here today, there were none here to vote on the Budget yesterday, does

:41:17. > :41:23.he really believed that he can lead this country? I suggest no. I would

:41:24. > :41:27.suggest the British public, when they are looking who devote four on

:41:28. > :41:31.the 8th of June will look forward with confidence to a Prime Minister

:41:32. > :41:37.with an increased mandate to take us through to the next five years and I

:41:38. > :41:43.am delighted that she is giving this opportunity to the country to

:41:44. > :41:47.examine our record insert all been since 2010, 70 3% youth

:41:48. > :42:06.unemployment, a drop. I hear no defence of the open is.

:42:07. > :42:10.They are more interested in campaigning and less interested in

:42:11. > :42:17.running the country. This party, our Government, has taken a strong

:42:18. > :42:22.stance and in Saint Alden 's,, there are two thirds reduction in youth

:42:23. > :42:25.unemployment, 62% in young people going into apprenticeships, those

:42:26. > :42:29.are the records we will be bidding to the public. Brexit is happening.

:42:30. > :42:37.We are going to make the best of it and I believe our Prime Minister

:42:38. > :42:38.will not have to suffer 100 on a elected Liberal Democrat any other

:42:39. > :42:44.place and nine in display to really place and nine in display to really

:42:45. > :42:49.turn up. Trying to talk the tail of this Prime Minister. We need to make

:42:50. > :42:54.the future secure... No, I'm going to finish. We need to make the

:42:55. > :42:58.future secure for all young people, families, and this game playing in

:42:59. > :43:03.the space does a disservice to the British public. They are fed up with

:43:04. > :43:09.elections anyway, but let's get on and get a mandate for our Prime

:43:10. > :43:13.Minister. The public do not respect the fact that people yell from the

:43:14. > :43:19.backbenches. She can speak up for her own leader, only do, own

:43:20. > :43:22.manifesto and own party and why she believes her own leader for

:43:23. > :43:26.Islington North will be the person to take the country through to the

:43:27. > :43:30.next five years. I would not share her confidence, but she obviously

:43:31. > :43:33.has a lot of confidence in his capabilities. I will conclude by

:43:34. > :43:38.saying that I know that this Government, which has delivered so

:43:39. > :43:41.much already and has a much more to deliver, will have a residence with

:43:42. > :43:45.the British public when you look at what is on offer from the other

:43:46. > :43:49.parties who are divided, scaremongering and in Brexit denial.

:43:50. > :44:01.This Government will govern as the best deal for all constituencies. An

:44:02. > :44:12.appropriate time to be called. I saw a daily that Cameron Tweet... -- I

:44:13. > :44:18.sort David Cameron Tweet saying you welcome to the decision to call an

:44:19. > :44:22.early election. Given we are in this mess because he put party before

:44:23. > :44:28.country in calling your friend when he did. It is hardly surprising that

:44:29. > :44:32.the Prime Minister should follow him and indeed choose to put party

:44:33. > :44:37.before country once again. Let's remember... Give me a moment. For

:44:38. > :44:41.the moment that she took office, the Prime Minister has ignored the

:44:42. > :44:46.closeness of the referendum vote, has preceded the hardest form of

:44:47. > :44:52.Brexit driving division instead of cohesion, she has ignored the

:44:53. > :44:56.British people, the British public sector and the National Health

:44:57. > :44:59.Service and now in what is clearly another Act of putting 1's party

:45:00. > :45:06.before it the country, she has chosen an early election. Not

:45:07. > :45:09.because she needs a mandate to deliver Brexit, the Labour Party has

:45:10. > :45:17.given her a mandate to deliver a Brexit. She's acting upon the narrow

:45:18. > :45:23.majority of the referendum in 2016. Let's be very honest and clear about

:45:24. > :45:27.this, she has chosen this election because she looked across the

:45:28. > :45:30.dispatch box and she could not resist the temptation of doing the

:45:31. > :45:39.political equivalent of taking candy from a baby and facing a Labour

:45:40. > :45:44.Party in a general election. She expects a coronation and not a

:45:45. > :45:50.contest. That is why the Liberal Democrats relish the challenge of a

:45:51. > :45:57.general election. I will give way. I'm very grateful for giving way.

:45:58. > :46:00.Given what he is said, will he rule out a Coalition with the

:46:01. > :46:04.Conservatives? The great problem we face in this country is that the

:46:05. > :46:08.Prime Minister is running on the expectation. There will be no need

:46:09. > :46:15.for any Coalition, the Prime Minister has won this general

:46:16. > :46:23.election in order to take advantage of what she sees, of what she thinks

:46:24. > :46:27.is a clear opportunity for a majority of 100 or more. -- the

:46:28. > :46:33.Prime Minister has called this general election. It is very clear

:46:34. > :46:38.that we are not talking about balanced ballots, the Prime Minister

:46:39. > :46:42.takes the view that in calling the selection it is the opportunity to

:46:43. > :46:45.hurt you have a 100 seat majority, an opportunity to drive through not

:46:46. > :46:56.just a hard Brexit, but indeed her agenda to is slimmed down a National

:46:57. > :46:59.Health Service... I'm Act order. The Honourable Member is undertaking an

:47:00. > :47:04.apprenticeship to become a statesman. He has several modules

:47:05. > :47:10.and some years to go. He must calm himself. He is listening to be

:47:11. > :47:14.statesmen, Tim Farron. Do as the hackles from a friend of many years

:47:15. > :47:17.standing down below me, the reality is, we are not looking at the

:47:18. > :47:26.balanced Parliament. The Prime Minister has clearly called the

:47:27. > :47:34.selection on the understanding that she can reap swathes... Give herself

:47:35. > :47:39.a majority that will allow her to do... Not the time being, thank you.

:47:40. > :47:42.Allow her to deliver the hardest former Brexit, showing the National

:47:43. > :47:50.Health Service, undermine support for education and figures out of the

:47:51. > :47:56.single market. Come on, Tim. If you want to avoid a hard Brexit, the any

:47:57. > :47:59.single market, a Britain that has a decent opposition, a decent

:48:00. > :48:04.opposition, that only the Liberal Democrats will give you in the final

:48:05. > :48:10.stages. Can I does point out... May I point out... There is only one

:48:11. > :48:13.route, Mr Speaker. There is only one route the Prime Minister losing this

:48:14. > :48:25.general election and it is a liminal Derek Radford. -- Liberal Democrat

:48:26. > :48:33.route. I'm happy to explain. Let me move on. Let me explain why it the

:48:34. > :48:44.only route through which Theresa May could lose her majority, unless my

:48:45. > :48:47.friends on the SNP are about to unleash an aggressive foreign

:48:48. > :48:50.policy, they can only get one seat. policy, they can only get one seat.

:48:51. > :48:54.Not even the Labour Party believes they will be gaining seats at the

:48:55. > :48:58.selection, so the only outcome of this election that does not lead to

:48:59. > :49:06.a Conservative majority is the Liberal Democrats revival in every

:49:07. > :49:10.part of this country. , On! The Government has already stated that

:49:11. > :49:16.it will not down lines if negotiating goes any further than

:49:17. > :49:20.the damp record we have frizzy. If they will not tell us what we are

:49:21. > :49:24.receiving, they must instead just the people with their say on the

:49:25. > :49:31.final deal. The Prime Minister has already confirmed that she will not

:49:32. > :49:35.do any television debates, preferring to cower behind the hard

:49:36. > :49:42.rate pages of the Brexit press than stand up and present her case to the

:49:43. > :49:45.British people. To have the honourable gentleman, I think he may

:49:46. > :49:52.have missed out my honourable friend to as a straight question. We have a

:49:53. > :49:56.word in Scotland it means give as a straight and is, will you rule out a

:49:57. > :49:59.call issue with the Tories? Gas or no? The outcome of this general

:50:00. > :50:05.election is uncertain and in the days and weeks to come... Yes or no?

:50:06. > :50:11.We will no doubt talk about what will happen afterwards. The

:50:12. > :50:19.honourable gentleman below need to... Answer it! You need to be

:50:20. > :50:29.patient and your patience will be rewarded. As will my Honourable

:50:30. > :50:33.neighbour. I don't think my Honourable Member give an answer to

:50:34. > :50:35.that. A lot of his views will be asked about over the next seven

:50:36. > :50:39.weeks and he was asked one question which he refused to give an answer

:50:40. > :50:43.to and I would be interested if he did today. Does the Honourable

:50:44. > :50:52.members think that being gay is a sin? I do not. I am very proud to

:50:53. > :50:56.have gone through that lobby behind the honourable gentleman there in

:50:57. > :51:01.any Coalition Government with the Liberal Democrats introduced gay

:51:02. > :51:04.marriage, equal marriage, and did not go as far as it did in terms of

:51:05. > :51:10.recognising transgender rights, or however there is much more to be

:51:11. > :51:15.done and if we campaign for an open and tolerant United Society, then we

:51:16. > :51:20.need to make sure that we in not in any way complacent about LGBT

:51:21. > :51:27.rights. In particular, what is going on in Chechnya at the moment. Let me

:51:28. > :51:34.say this, do you know what, I won't. Let's move on. There is not much

:51:35. > :51:40.time! I am flattered that you want to know my views. I will put myself

:51:41. > :51:44.up for a leader debate with others, even if the Prime Minister doesn't.

:51:45. > :51:53.You can then denies me. The reality is, what we had in a referendum last

:51:54. > :51:55.June was a vote to start the process and giving the Prime Minister a

:51:56. > :52:01.mandate to negotiate Brexit. What was not given the mandate to give

:52:02. > :52:07.this Prime Minister the right to enact any old deal at the end of the

:52:08. > :52:10.process. At the end of the process... What the Prime Minister

:52:11. > :52:15.is asking for now is a blank cheque to a lower the British people to put

:52:16. > :52:17.up with what ever a stitch up she and the Brussels bureaucrats who

:52:18. > :52:22.together over the next two years. That is not democracy was up and

:52:23. > :52:27.election that takes place on the 8th of June will not decide that

:52:28. > :52:32.outcome. It will be about imposing on the British people a deal that

:52:33. > :52:37.absolutely nobody voted for. Yes, the Liberal Democrats welcome this

:52:38. > :52:43.opportunity to show the British people that there is another way.

:52:44. > :52:49.The values of tolerance, of openness and fairness can help build vibrant

:52:50. > :52:52.and successful communities and opportunities across the whole of

:52:53. > :52:55.the United Kingdom and beyond. The Government has made it clear that

:52:56. > :53:00.this is not the Britain that they believe in, they have chosen

:53:01. > :53:04.isolation over core operation. Meanness of fairness, I believe in a

:53:05. > :53:05.better Britain and that is why, Mr Speaker, we will support this

:53:06. > :53:14.motion. Border. On account of the level of

:53:15. > :53:18.interest and given that there are just over 37 minutes ago, I will

:53:19. > :53:24.impose a three-minute limit to backbench speeches. I hope I can

:53:25. > :53:27.take less time and it is a great honour to follow the honourable

:53:28. > :53:32.gentleman, I had hoped to agree with him on one thing in his speech, I

:53:33. > :53:36.had hoped he would have ruled out calling into a coalition with ours

:53:37. > :53:39.because I can tell you, from these benches, there was no chance he

:53:40. > :53:48.would want you, third, in our coalition of any Government. -- sir.

:53:49. > :53:53.To date, the debate is in full swing but this is a good day for

:53:54. > :53:58.Parliament. This is another slight step towards parliamentary democracy

:53:59. > :54:02.rather than dictate by the executive. The Prime Minister has

:54:03. > :54:07.not called a general election, it is this how that will decide whether

:54:08. > :54:12.there will be a general election. If I thought for one moment that this

:54:13. > :54:16.election had been in... Any moment. If I thought for one moment this

:54:17. > :54:22.election has been called for party political reasons to go early to the

:54:23. > :54:25.country, as happened with previous governments, they chose a moment to

:54:26. > :54:31.go for political advantage, it gave great power to the executive. A

:54:32. > :54:36.strange number of circumstances have come to get there. We have had a

:54:37. > :54:40.change in the Prime Minister. We have not only at their age in Prime

:54:41. > :54:44.Minister, we have had a change in all senior ministers as they move

:54:45. > :54:55.from a governance that was and I Brexit to probe Brexit. --

:54:56. > :54:58.anti-Brexit to pro. It to every member in this house to make a

:54:59. > :55:04.decision. That proves that the fixed and is working and I absolutely...

:55:05. > :55:13.If members visit the dumbing disagree but they can. Thank you.

:55:14. > :55:17.I'm greatly honoured for you giving way. He said the parliament will

:55:18. > :55:22.decide on the Prime Minister went on television yesterday, staking a

:55:23. > :55:26.reputation, that there would be a general election. If you does not

:55:27. > :55:31.get the majority, should she resigned after such a public

:55:32. > :55:34.humiliation? That the whole advantage of the Parliament act. If

:55:35. > :55:39.the house does not agree to the general election, it won't happen

:55:40. > :55:44.and the Government will continue in office. Now, of course, opposition

:55:45. > :55:48.members that don't want a general election would be very strange

:55:49. > :55:54.creatures indeed but also because opposition members sit on their

:55:55. > :55:57.hands and don't vote, they will be regarded as important Members of

:55:58. > :56:06.Parliament. I hope the honourable gentleman will make his mind up one

:56:07. > :56:10.way or another. -- impotence. Isn't that I've fixed term Parliament

:56:11. > :56:13.cannot work? No one can sensibly say they prefer a Government they oppose

:56:14. > :56:18.to continue in office rather than having the cancer defeating it.

:56:19. > :56:25.Therefore, the fixed term Parliament act does not go far. -- the chance

:56:26. > :56:29.to. I will disagree. It is proving today that it is working. I believe

:56:30. > :56:36.we will have the required majority. I understand, Sir, that if nobody

:56:37. > :56:44.objects, and you decide the matter on the voices, it in fact is carried

:56:45. > :56:48.and we don't have too actually have two thirds. I think that is a

:56:49. > :56:52.strange anomaly but I hope someone will shout no and we get it. I will

:56:53. > :56:59.not be doing that today because, as you know, you have two followed...

:57:00. > :57:04.How you go to the volume about and I would never dream of doing anything

:57:05. > :57:08.other than that. Despite the party politics, I think this is a great

:57:09. > :57:14.day for Parliament and it's a small step forward in parliamentary

:57:15. > :57:19.democracy. Free issues I want to address any short time available to

:57:20. > :57:22.me. The first is that this election is happening in our midst of

:57:23. > :57:26.political discussions in Northern Ireland about the formation of an

:57:27. > :57:33.executive. That is important. I want to make eclair, starters -- as far

:57:34. > :57:37.as our party is concerned, we want discussions to continue in Northern

:57:38. > :57:43.Ireland. Clear. We want to make eclair along with the SDLP in Ulster

:57:44. > :57:49.Unionists we will form an executive in Northern Ireland. -- make it

:57:50. > :57:53.clear. We do not see anything is more important than health

:57:54. > :57:57.education, funding, the future of our problems and public services. We

:57:58. > :58:00.believe those things are far more rewarding than some of the issues

:58:01. > :58:04.that are now said to divide us so we are ready to get that executive up

:58:05. > :58:08.and running two-day, next week, whenever. We don't need prolonged

:58:09. > :58:15.negotiations. The second thing I want to say is, in terms of the

:58:16. > :58:19.Brexit, Northern Ireland's position is different. That has been made

:58:20. > :58:23.clear. That has been made clear in the paper set out, it is recognised

:58:24. > :58:27.as special circumstances. We believe it is imperative that Northern

:58:28. > :58:33.Ireland's voices heard very strongly. That is why it's such a

:58:34. > :58:37.tragedy that Sinn Fein is what a way from the executive, collapsed the

:58:38. > :58:42.Assembly, full other into an unnecessary Assembly election,

:58:43. > :58:45.boycott this place and then the man is a special stages which have been

:58:46. > :58:48.rejected from the Irish Republic, the European Union and even the

:58:49. > :58:55.European Parliament when it set out to negotiate. Never they except some

:58:56. > :58:58.kind of special stages, they want, and we agree with special

:58:59. > :59:03.arrangements that recognise special circumstances of Northern Ireland.

:59:04. > :59:07.Mr Speaker, if that'll be essential in the election is now going to

:59:08. > :59:09.happen, people in Northern Ireland recognise the clear choice between a

:59:10. > :59:13.party that has waterway and abandoned its responsibilities on a

:59:14. > :59:17.number of fronts and a party that will enter Government in Northern

:59:18. > :59:21.Ireland, takes the chair, contribute and raise its voice, standing up for

:59:22. > :59:27.Northern Ireland. The final thing I want to say this. The only big issue

:59:28. > :59:29.about going forward in terms of this country, this election will provide

:59:30. > :59:35.clarity. It will provide clarity on the union. The union that really

:59:36. > :59:40.matters, the union of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and

:59:41. > :59:43.Northern Ireland. On that issue, the people of Northern Ireland will have

:59:44. > :59:49.a clear choice. They will have a clear choice as to whether or not

:59:50. > :59:53.they will want to rally round and say firmly that they want Northern

:59:54. > :59:56.Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, whether they want to go

:59:57. > :00:05.down the route presented by Sinn Fein, which is a Marxist, Leninist

:00:06. > :00:09.concept of a republic that has been rejected by most people accept their

:00:10. > :00:12.nationalism and but reject what they stand for in terms of their

:00:13. > :00:17.intellect average and all the rest of it. The only way to support the

:00:18. > :00:23.union is by rallying behind the Democratic Unionist Party on the 8th

:00:24. > :00:27.of June. The Prime Minister presents itself, to adapt a phrase from Tony

:00:28. > :00:33.Blair, as a pretty straight sort of a person. She is a former Home

:00:34. > :00:37.Secretary, she is a former Home Secretary and she knows full well

:00:38. > :00:41.the values of evidence as it is proved. Firstly, she was initially

:00:42. > :00:50.in favour of leaving the European Union. A lesser moral stand, even if

:00:51. > :00:54.I disagree. Then in favour of May in, others silent in that report.

:00:55. > :00:59.Now with us again in her determination to leave. Secondly,

:01:00. > :01:04.opposed to holding a second general election. -- a general election.

:01:05. > :01:08.Turning on domestic matters when he had important and time limited

:01:09. > :01:14.international negotiation to conclude. Now, hey how, she has

:01:15. > :01:17.eagerly said it is a general election we must happen. Again the

:01:18. > :01:22.European Union, for the European Union, again, again. Against holding

:01:23. > :01:28.a general election, now determined to have one. Mr DJ, they recognise

:01:29. > :01:40.that are as straight as legendary European Union bandanna. -- bonanza.

:01:41. > :01:42.-- banana. She has said she wants an election to get a larger Tory

:01:43. > :01:48.majority. But the honourable member agree with me that the Prime

:01:49. > :01:50.Minister is triggering the -- treating the electorate with

:01:51. > :01:55.contempt because he assumes it will result in such and she admits she

:01:56. > :02:03.has no plan at all for this country if she does not get that result. I

:02:04. > :02:06.have no crystal ball. I know the disarray unfortunately that the

:02:07. > :02:11.party of the rates on my right and who knows what the outcome would be

:02:12. > :02:16.but I am suspicious of the Prime Minister's motives and reasoning.

:02:17. > :02:21.She said he general election would in hand the stages of the other 27

:02:22. > :02:27.and I cannot see how that might the case. Just to turn briefly to what I

:02:28. > :02:33.do think the motives are, and I think they're pretty clear. They are

:02:34. > :02:36.pretty straight. Is not only about the destruction of the Labour Party

:02:37. > :02:42.as a credible opposition over the next decade or so, unfortunately,

:02:43. > :02:45.and I'm afraid they are doing in very effective demolition job

:02:46. > :02:48.themselves with her help, it is not only about raising a challenge to my

:02:49. > :02:56.friends in Scotland, though I think, in this case, her case is already

:02:57. > :03:00.lost. This is about seeing of her opponent on the side of the house

:03:01. > :03:09.and her enemies behind her. As always with the Tories, desperate

:03:10. > :03:15.while it suits. My hearty Plaid can raise welcomes unity. We welcome the

:03:16. > :03:21.people of Wales and the opportunity for the people of Wales to change

:03:22. > :03:26.our course in the long-term. -- banana. Away from the cyber

:03:27. > :03:32.centralised governments in London. -- Plaid Cymru. With prosperity,

:03:33. > :03:42.social justice than the problem confident place all else in the

:03:43. > :03:47.world. If the Prime Minister, when taking office, said we wanted this

:03:48. > :03:50.Government led by herself wanted a general election, there would be

:03:51. > :04:00.less controversy than there is at the moment. But it is denial. Every

:04:01. > :04:07.opportunity, she herself or someone speaking for her has denied the

:04:08. > :04:12.general election. Where was the general election, they were asked.

:04:13. > :04:14.The question was Claire, 2020. There is no great public demand free

:04:15. > :04:21.general election. How many members of this house have received, in your

:04:22. > :04:24.last few weeks of the last few months, letters and e-mails

:04:25. > :04:31.clamouring for a general election? Hands up. Go. It is absolutely

:04:32. > :04:43.clear. There has been no such demand. The reason given by the

:04:44. > :04:46.prime ministers for a general election, Brexit, that is a feeble,

:04:47. > :04:50.flimsy excuse and not taken in by anyone. I honourable friend said the

:04:51. > :04:55.Government should not be complacent without getting a large majority. --

:04:56. > :05:02.about getting it. Hopefully they will not receive one. When you

:05:03. > :05:05.consider the hard done to the people in need, disabled, vulnerable, live

:05:06. > :05:09.aid in employment, when this covenant has had a small majority,

:05:10. > :05:13.just imagine what would happen if there was a large Tory majority. It

:05:14. > :05:20.would be a nightmare. An absolute nightmare for those who we

:05:21. > :05:29.represent. Millions of people in this country need the governments to

:05:30. > :05:34.protect them and not be half them. I have -- not with a small, not with a

:05:35. > :05:37.large majority. I was here Julie Jory Government of the 1980s and I

:05:38. > :05:44.saw only too well the arm that was done to my constituents. Certainly

:05:45. > :05:50.others. This motion before us is murky, complete the opportunist and

:05:51. > :05:57.reflects badly on the Prime Minister. I just repeat these words,

:05:58. > :06:01.made were cynical about politics in this country and unfortunately that

:06:02. > :06:08.is a trait that has increased with whoever has responsibility for

:06:09. > :06:13.producing, or perhaps all. I do say that this notion and this general

:06:14. > :06:16.election which is coming your way for opportunistic reasons, we

:06:17. > :06:25.increase the cynical feeling and that is a very damaging thing to the

:06:26. > :06:29.democratic process. Thank you. I, too, will be voting against the

:06:30. > :06:35.motion to day because I think it is totally unnecessary and I say that

:06:36. > :06:42.as somebody who voted leave on the 23rd. Since then, I have had a

:06:43. > :06:46.grudging respect for the way the Prime Minister has conducted herself

:06:47. > :06:50.since you do go over. However, the justification of which she has given

:06:51. > :06:54.for having a general election is quite frankly disingenuous. To

:06:55. > :07:01.suggest that he needs a mandate to negotiate Brexit is just ridiculous.

:07:02. > :07:07.She was given that mandate on the 24th of June by a majority of

:07:08. > :07:12.British people and it is up to her now to carry that out. If she then

:07:13. > :07:17.wishes to have another election at the end of the process, or to have

:07:18. > :07:23.another referendum, then so be it. To justify it now is just as my

:07:24. > :07:33.honourable colleague said, surely opportunistic. She said she needs a

:07:34. > :07:38.larger majority because heard business in the house is likely to

:07:39. > :07:43.be disrupted by an opposition party or by the House of Lords. Well, she

:07:44. > :07:50.drew back to what happened when the Wilson Government was in power

:07:51. > :07:56.between 64-66. He had a majority of three. The Callaghan current in the

:07:57. > :08:00.1970s governed for five years without any majority. --

:08:01. > :08:03.governments. If he is fearful of what could happen any House of

:08:04. > :08:08.Lords, she should do exactly what stories have done in the past and

:08:09. > :08:13.flog the plays that their own people to ensure she gets her way. There is

:08:14. > :08:20.no justification for arguing that she needs to have a larger majority

:08:21. > :08:25.in order to get the business of the house through. -- flood the place.

:08:26. > :08:31.Furthermore, the quite frankly arrogant view that the electorate

:08:32. > :08:39.should concentrate simply all in one narrow issue is treating the

:08:40. > :08:43.electorate with contempt. I can only speak for my constituents, but when

:08:44. > :08:48.they considered the issues, they will be asking the questions, why is

:08:49. > :08:52.every school in my constituency losing out under the new funding

:08:53. > :08:58.formula? Why is the City Council having to make the horrendous cuts

:08:59. > :09:02.because the Government have at support grants. Whilst the dog

:09:03. > :09:06.waiting times local hospitals increasing? There are just not

:09:07. > :09:09.enough staff. While more and more hard-working families having...? I

:09:10. > :09:20.will. I just wanted to point out that in

:09:21. > :09:26.his questioning about why the things were happening to do things in his

:09:27. > :09:31.constituency, I wanted to ask if he might addressed why my children's

:09:32. > :09:36.school which is in his constituency, the children are now going up to

:09:37. > :09:39.having 32 children in a class and I wonder if he agrees with me, I don't

:09:40. > :09:45.remember that happening under a Labour Government. I thank my

:09:46. > :09:51.colleagues. Of course, she is correct. Under a Labour Government,

:09:52. > :09:55.we build schools for the future. We had short staffed centres, under

:09:56. > :10:00.this Government, for as well, the programme has stopped and secondly,

:10:01. > :10:03.short staff centres are being closed left, right and centre. My

:10:04. > :10:07.constituents will ask other questions, why is it that more and

:10:08. > :10:12.more hard-working families are being forced into the humiliation of

:10:13. > :10:17.having to use food banks, because they do not have enough money at the

:10:18. > :10:23.end of the week to feed and clothe their families? Why our energy

:10:24. > :10:28.consumers paying ever increasing prices well the energy utility firms

:10:29. > :10:36.are ripping them off in the sacred name of competition? And why are

:10:37. > :10:38.young people, married and unmarried, unable to acquire proper housing for

:10:39. > :10:46.themselves and very often have to stay with their in wars? These views

:10:47. > :10:50.will be echoed throughout the country. There is no justification

:10:51. > :10:58.for the selection and I will certainly be opposing it. Thank you

:10:59. > :11:02.very much, Mr Speaker. I will be supporting emotion, because I think

:11:03. > :11:07.is one of the members opposite side, it is rather bizarre that when the

:11:08. > :11:12.Opposition says they want to keep a Tory Government in power, it makes

:11:13. > :11:16.no sense. We have to put our case to be British people and see what

:11:17. > :11:19.happens. We have arrived at a position today which I always

:11:20. > :11:25.thought was inevitable. This was bound to happen. I never bought all

:11:26. > :11:30.the golf about no election. As a political dilemma could work here,

:11:31. > :11:38.which has resulted in this decision being inevitable. Given he is going

:11:39. > :11:41.to support the Government, is he then confident we won't have a toy

:11:42. > :11:48.Government returning post-election with two more years? What is the

:11:49. > :11:51.follow through on his actions? The follow-through is to do what ever

:11:52. > :11:54.you can to get rid of a Tory Government as soon as you can. That

:11:55. > :11:57.is always the case. That may not work, but it's up to the British

:11:58. > :12:04.people in an election. That is their choice. The reason I think we are in

:12:05. > :12:11.an inevitable position is because I just wanted to pay a minor tribute

:12:12. > :12:17.to Mr David Kaplan. -- David Cameron. When the history of the

:12:18. > :12:23.early part of the 20th century comes to be written, you will have one

:12:24. > :12:27.even most prominent roles in it. Not a particularly glorious tribute, but

:12:28. > :12:31.decisions that he took will over time the damage this country

:12:32. > :12:39.immensely. Members serving on the original EU Referendum Bill known at

:12:40. > :12:46.the time as the Walton Bill. I remember sitting in a committee and

:12:47. > :12:57.the then Prime Minister actually came into the committee room and sat

:12:58. > :13:02.in the public gallery simply to pay all pieces to the hard right wingers

:13:03. > :13:07.of the Tory party who were on that Bill committee. I have never seen or

:13:08. > :13:17.heard the Prime Minister being faced with such ignominy as having to do

:13:18. > :13:20.that. He gave them the guarantee of an in-house referendum. He did not

:13:21. > :13:29.say he would renegotiate the terms of are you membership. -- EU

:13:30. > :13:34.membership. This is the consequence of that. When I think you will go

:13:35. > :13:38.down as one as the most damaging Prime Minister 's, but prominent

:13:39. > :13:44.nonetheless, he is also a bit at jeopardy the entire future of the

:13:45. > :13:50.United Kingdom. Not just our relationship with the European

:13:51. > :13:56.Union, but these future of Scotland as part of the United Kingdom, and

:13:57. > :14:00.again it was he who granted the referendum in the first place which

:14:01. > :14:05.set the dynamic in train, which has destroyed the Labour Party in

:14:06. > :14:09.Scotland, let's be frank and given them the more prominent role that

:14:10. > :14:15.they enjoy today. He also has put in jeopardy our relationship with the

:14:16. > :14:20.Republic of Ireland and also as the honourable gentleman from the DUP

:14:21. > :14:26.mentioned earlier, put at risk the very stability of Northern Ireland

:14:27. > :14:29.as an entity, whether or not as part of the United Kingdom. All of these

:14:30. > :14:32.things add up and the damage that has been done will be with us for

:14:33. > :14:38.decades. The people who will pay the biggest price as mentioned earlier

:14:39. > :14:42.will be the young people. The next generation and those who come after.

:14:43. > :14:47.It has permanently damage this country. I will vote for the general

:14:48. > :14:52.election and say I don't think it will change anything. I think the

:14:53. > :14:57.landscape or remain much the same after an election as it is now. It

:14:58. > :15:04.will all follow from the calamitous decision of last June to leave the

:15:05. > :15:10.European Union. I can understand that is a certain amount of bank to

:15:11. > :15:14.me here today. Politics is neither science nor art and it certainly is

:15:15. > :15:19.not religion. People do things for their own political advantage as has

:15:20. > :15:22.every Prime Minister. I'm not intending to speak in this debate,

:15:23. > :15:27.but in response to a question posed by the Honourable Member for Walsall

:15:28. > :15:33.Norris said he wouldn't let me intervene to respond. I want to make

:15:34. > :15:36.a couple points. I have received e-mails from constituents over the

:15:37. > :15:40.last three weeks asking me to encourage the Prime Minister to call

:15:41. > :15:43.a general election and go to the country once again. He seemed to be

:15:44. > :15:48.implying that the one in the country was asking for this, but there were

:15:49. > :15:53.members of my constituency were asking me to do that. When the Prime

:15:54. > :16:00.Minister did make an announcement yesterday, initially I would say I

:16:01. > :16:03.was in shock. Like my Right Honourable Friend, I was boldly

:16:04. > :16:07.telling people that there was no chance of a general election

:16:08. > :16:11.happening and I wasn't quite as bald as to put it in the papers, but both

:16:12. > :16:15.verbally and in e-mails, I was telling people that I didn't believe

:16:16. > :16:19.it was going to happen. Having listened to the reason the Prime

:16:20. > :16:22.Minister gave yesterday, I am happy to the outcome to be position where

:16:23. > :16:27.I do believe it is the right thing for the country. That we obtain a

:16:28. > :16:30.new mandate to go into the negotiations to leave the EU and the

:16:31. > :16:34.Prime Minister and the others who will begin negotiating our towns in

:16:35. > :16:40.the strongest possible position in those negotiations. Limmy also say

:16:41. > :16:44.that I'm very happy to stand on this Government's record of delivering

:16:45. > :16:51.for this country. This is not just about Brexit negotiations, it is

:16:52. > :16:54.about this Government has one of the best performing economies in the

:16:55. > :16:57.world, record numbers of jobs, great investment in the NHS. I am per to

:16:58. > :17:03.the letters continue with the job that we are doing on these benches

:17:04. > :17:06.for delivering what our country needs and put us in the strongest

:17:07. > :17:13.possible position. I want to make one final point for I finish, if the

:17:14. > :17:18.Conservative Party is returned into Government with a substantially

:17:19. > :17:21.reduced majority, I see to the leader of the Liberal Democrats,

:17:22. > :17:24.will he then except that that is the word of the British people? That

:17:25. > :17:29.they have returned the Conservative Party with a clear mandate to press

:17:30. > :17:34.on and figures out of the European Union on the grounds that the Prime

:17:35. > :17:36.Minister has set out and drop this opposition in gameplay to thwart the

:17:37. > :17:45.democratic will of the British people? As someone who believes the

:17:46. > :17:49.Prime Minister has presented the case with a selection on an entirely

:17:50. > :17:55.false premise, I too will be voting against the motion today. I was not

:17:56. > :17:58.acting for an election last week, the week before, I was arguing in

:17:59. > :18:03.the context of the toxin in Northern Ireland there any mood to an

:18:04. > :18:07.election in the near future wouldn't actually help the context of those

:18:08. > :18:11.negotiations, so my mind has not changed, so why should I pretend

:18:12. > :18:14.that it has? I'm not going to be goaded into voting differently

:18:15. > :18:20.because of the Prime Minister's actions and standards. She is

:18:21. > :18:23.accused others are playing games in this Parliament. Her argument is

:18:24. > :18:26.that she has no confidence in Parliament. We have this bizarre

:18:27. > :18:31.situation where we had a referendum that was about taking back control,

:18:32. > :18:35.parliamentary sovereignty, but then we have a Prime Minister who says

:18:36. > :18:42.she has no confidence in Parliament. She does not trust the Opposition,

:18:43. > :18:45.she confers all sort of exaggerated powers to block and she complained

:18:46. > :18:49.that the House of Lords. If members of the Tory benches are concerned

:18:50. > :18:52.about the House of Lords, moved to abolish it or move to put forward a

:18:53. > :19:00.confident, coherent democratic reform, but stop using them as props

:19:01. > :19:04.in this argument. The Prime Minister is pretending she needs the election

:19:05. > :19:08.knows that she has a strong hand in the short-term, when we really know

:19:09. > :19:11.that she wants a free hand in the longer term in terms of the regular

:19:12. > :19:14.room around periods of adjustment and transitions and other things

:19:15. > :19:19.that too many of her colleagues have been to straight on. Does my

:19:20. > :19:27.honourable friend appreciate that the nearest power level to what is

:19:28. > :19:35.happening now in this campaign for an election is the... I am

:19:36. > :19:40.interested in hearing the honourable gentleman, but I would like to face

:19:41. > :19:45.the house, thank you. You were pretty busy talking.

:19:46. > :19:50.LAUGHTER I was being spoken to by an

:19:51. > :19:57.illustrious Member of the Opposition whip. We'll hear from the Honourable

:19:58. > :20:01.Member. The nearest parallel is the election of 1974 when Ted Heath, the

:20:02. > :20:08.then Prime Minister, decided on a very narrow argument that the miners

:20:09. > :20:15.were on strike and that it would be about to runs the country. Most

:20:16. > :20:19.general elections are about a lot of things, this one was about a

:20:20. > :20:26.specific thing. Can I say to my honourable friend, what happened in

:20:27. > :20:33.the event was that the Labour Party finished up with the largest number

:20:34. > :20:36.of seats and the Queen Centre Ted Heath to try and form a Coalition

:20:37. > :20:45.with the Liberals and the Liberals ran away. I appreciate the right

:20:46. > :20:48.honourable members intervention and I would also make the point that we

:20:49. > :21:00.have going to bring in comparisons with that election in 1970 Coric,

:21:01. > :21:04.the power-sharing objective formed in Northern Ireland fell as a

:21:05. > :21:08.consequence of that election. -- election in 1974. That was because

:21:09. > :21:12.of the balance of forces. The collection has been called without

:21:13. > :21:15.regard for the fact that there are a sensitive negotiations ongoing in

:21:16. > :21:18.Northern Ireland currently in its hard to see how this happening there

:21:19. > :21:22.won't have an impact on those negotiations. It will probably call

:21:23. > :21:27.the attitude of pointed to some of the issues they are dealing with. It

:21:28. > :21:32.will colour their attitude to each other in terms of trust, but also

:21:33. > :21:36.the British and will not be in a position to give undertakings or

:21:37. > :21:39.commitment in the contest of those negotiations. How are we going to

:21:40. > :21:46.get any sort of comprehends of agreement in those hours of

:21:47. > :21:50.circumstances? As someone who worked for the Good Friday agreement and

:21:51. > :21:56.its implementation, I do not take those issues lately and I cannot be

:21:57. > :22:00.dismissive of them. I want to make sure we have the agreement fully

:22:01. > :22:05.protected and that is why I am no saboteur of anything that has been

:22:06. > :22:08.endorsed by a referendum, least of all but the Irish people endorsed by

:22:09. > :22:12.referendum unable to put the Good Friday agreement. I worry about the

:22:13. > :22:15.implications of Brexit for the Good Friday agreement, I worry about the

:22:16. > :22:20.fact that the Government are in denial about the fact that the

:22:21. > :22:25.process of Brexit has implications for that agreement, but of course I

:22:26. > :22:29.also do recognise that the agreement gives us the machinery to answer a

:22:30. > :22:33.lot of the questions and challenges for the whole island of Ireland in

:22:34. > :22:37.times of Brexit. It gives us the material to make sure we can operate

:22:38. > :22:42.in the future in ways that continue to be supported by and funded by the

:22:43. > :22:48.EU, we can keep the island as a comment market, even got market, in

:22:49. > :22:53.sector after sector if we use the Good Friday agreement. We go for it

:22:54. > :22:56.in this election in a positive way, but with no pretence that the

:22:57. > :22:59.election was necessary and no pretence that the Prime Minister is

:23:00. > :23:10.justified in the Times that she has used an ordinary by the pretence.

:23:11. > :23:15.I believe this is the sort of thing that gives politics a bad name in

:23:16. > :23:18.our country and it leads to the alienation of people from the

:23:19. > :23:21.blissful process because there's only one reason the Prime Minister

:23:22. > :23:25.what they general election on the 8th of June and that is because she

:23:26. > :23:29.figures she has a better chance of winning it now than she does in the

:23:30. > :23:32.future. It is therefore the most blatant abuse of the democratic

:23:33. > :23:38.procedure for party political advantage. As the campaign goes on,

:23:39. > :23:42.it'll be seen as that. This has nothing to do with the country was

:23:43. > :23:46.lacked interest and to do with the management of the Conservative

:23:47. > :23:54.Party. I give two reasons why that is the case. She has suggested she

:23:55. > :24:00.was a majority. He is not lost any vote on Brexit only last year with a

:24:01. > :24:08.majority of less than 30. She has not won any, rather. The majority is

:24:09. > :24:12.already there. She also said that this will give clarity to the Brexit

:24:13. > :24:17.process. We have been trying from ten long ones for clarity. Every

:24:18. > :24:22.question you have to as being met with silence and refusal to actually

:24:23. > :24:25.say what Brexit does indeed mean. I do believe for one minute that the

:24:26. > :24:31.Tory party manifesto for the 8th of June will spell out exactly what

:24:32. > :24:35.they plan to Britain is both Brexit. Who is giving you? We will not be

:24:36. > :24:40.any clearer at this election as to what Brexit means than they are

:24:41. > :24:46.right now. -- post-Brexit. Thank you. The media are reporting that up

:24:47. > :24:49.to 30 sitting Tory MPs face being prosecuted for electoral fraud and

:24:50. > :24:53.the Crown Prosecution Service will announce whether it intends to press

:24:54. > :24:56.charges very soon. But I honourable friend think this might have

:24:57. > :25:01.anything to do with the Prime Minister was my change of heart? I

:25:02. > :25:04.do. I think it is remarkably suspicious but my concern is that

:25:05. > :25:10.actually what the Prime Minister wanted to his silence dissent and

:25:11. > :25:13.disagreement in the house and the country. Therefore her instincts are

:25:14. > :25:21.not democratic, they are authoritarian. That is a great

:25:22. > :25:24.worry. Can I just turned to the situation in Scotland? There are two

:25:25. > :25:32.reasons why the people of Scotland should be given another choice about

:25:33. > :25:39.self governance. The first is because -- not because people who

:25:40. > :25:42.lost the referendum respect the results but that changed afterwards.

:25:43. > :25:46.The United Kingdom people voted to be part of will no longer the

:25:47. > :25:48.dominant be there in the future. The second is, despite a comprised

:25:49. > :25:54.position by the Scottish Government that said it would neither challenge

:25:55. > :25:57.the Brexit deal argue for independence, that would fall back

:25:58. > :26:01.on our faces. There is no option but to offer people in Scotland the

:26:02. > :26:06.other agility and the choice between having a hard Tory isolation Britain

:26:07. > :26:12.are taking matters into their own hands. This is not required as a

:26:13. > :26:14.mandate to have that second referendum because the Scottish

:26:15. > :26:19.Government already have that mandate. This will be a judgment,

:26:20. > :26:24.Prime Minister, on your refusal to agree to the wishes of the Scottish

:26:25. > :26:27.Parliament and I would like to have this in finishing. If the

:26:28. > :26:32.Conservative Party loses the general election in Scotland, will you stop

:26:33. > :26:46.blocking the right of the Scottish people do have its choice? Very

:26:47. > :26:49.unfair. Any generation. Northern Ireland is in a state of the

:26:50. > :26:53.military have no executive, no Government and I wonder if the Prime

:26:54. > :26:56.Minister fully considers what it may happen to us there. Before the

:26:57. > :27:01.recess, I was given an excellent answer as to our position in the

:27:02. > :27:06.union and I'm very, very grateful to this part I want to get three points

:27:07. > :27:11.across. One is not about this election, we fully supported a

:27:12. > :27:17.public version. The public in Northern Ireland are fed up to the G

:27:18. > :27:20.with elections. They have had very many, see no point in another

:27:21. > :27:25.Assembly election. If you watched what was going on in Easter and

:27:26. > :27:31.watched some paramilitaries dressed in west Belfast and I think

:27:32. > :27:37.somewhere else marching carrying the European Union flag as if it were

:27:38. > :27:44.their banner. Brexit for art is a very different and brittle world. We

:27:45. > :27:47.fully support and the divinely the right way forward but it will be

:27:48. > :27:54.used by Sinn Fein to really try and break up the union and the need that

:27:55. > :27:58.support. I add that, in the manifesto, they look at how they

:27:59. > :28:04.deal with Northern Ireland APPLAUSE Special stages but also how you look

:28:05. > :28:10.in that manifesto at ensuring that they have a workable Government.

:28:11. > :28:13.That's what the Ulster Unionist Party all about. Getting back to

:28:14. > :28:19.Central parties running Northern Ireland and finally, the last point,

:28:20. > :28:22.making sure the manifesto looks after our Armed Forces, our

:28:23. > :28:25.ex-servicemen. Legacy is playing its way out, not protecting the people

:28:26. > :28:38.who need protected were doing their duty. We will support the motion to

:28:39. > :28:41.date. Thank you. Several members have already pointed out today that

:28:42. > :28:46.the Prime Minister head up a party with the current majority that was

:28:47. > :28:51.gained by her party cheating in the last general election and BLS jawed

:28:52. > :28:57.committee has signed on as a result today, she had a brass neck to give

:28:58. > :29:00.a speech that leadership. I want to know what leadership is the prime

:29:01. > :29:06.ministers showing on this? She refused and the question from the

:29:07. > :29:10.honourable member from Bolsover. She refused to answer the member for

:29:11. > :29:18.Glasgow 's south about electoral cheating. Will they take part? What

:29:19. > :29:24.interventions has she made to make sure this cheating does not happen

:29:25. > :29:31.again? If the honourable lady mask. Like the order. Mr Speaker, tries

:29:32. > :29:34.the honourable member has accused members of cheating. There is no

:29:35. > :29:41.proof of cheating and he should withdraw the remarks. I think it's a

:29:42. > :29:47.matter of taste rather than order for the honourable lady but he has

:29:48. > :29:54.made that with accuracy and it is forward. Thank you concluded?

:29:55. > :29:57.Condemns a further nine leadership interventions by the Prime Minister,

:29:58. > :30:01.she consistently said that would be no general election, we had a

:30:02. > :30:04.U-turn. She did not and the likely change their mind on the single

:30:05. > :30:10.market. No evidence about what a hard Tory Brexit will mean converge

:30:11. > :30:13.to Scotland's playing in the single market. She ignore the Scottish

:30:14. > :30:22.Government and Scottish Parliament. I have to, shows a real leadership.

:30:23. > :30:29.Thank you. Saying that it is voting for Christmas -- turkeys voting for

:30:30. > :30:35.Christmas. It is what they are doing. The Prime Minister needs 433

:30:36. > :30:39.MPs to support her to day. She has gone on television, told the

:30:40. > :30:43.build-up will be a general election will stop if Parliaments doesn't

:30:44. > :30:49.back her, Labour did and do her tune, if you does not have 433, will

:30:50. > :30:54.she resigned? That and they could change the views of the Labour

:30:55. > :30:58.members. Under the standing order, I must now put the question. The

:30:59. > :31:11.question is that there shall be an early parliamentary general

:31:12. > :31:17.election. As many of that opinion say aye, on the contrary know. On

:31:18. > :31:38.the contrary, no? Division! Clear the lobby. Order. Order. The ayes to

:31:39. > :31:51.the right, 522. The noes to the left, 13. The ayes to the right,

:31:52. > :31:56.five to two. The noes to the left, 13. The ayes have it, the ayes have

:31:57. > :32:33.it. Unlock. Whitehall, the heart of Govan but

:32:34. > :32:37.could you balance this with Government and the one of the

:32:38. > :32:38.largest employers of the world. So, you want to be Health