1. Debate: Brexit and Prorogation of the UK Parliament

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 1:16 pm on 5 September 2019.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mark Reckless Mark Reckless Conservative 1:16, 5 September 2019

Well, the First Minister's speeches are always rapt and engage everyone's attention; I'm sure he needs no lessons in oratory from his predecessor. But we see Labour and Plaid—. And this isn't the first time this has happened; I've lost count of the number of times it's happened that they agree a joint motion with Plaid Cymru and then Plaid Cymru come and seek to attack that agreed motion with their own amendments seeking to exploit Labour's divisions. [Interruption.] We will watch the vote and we will see where Labour stand, but what the First Minister said just now is not what their motion said. He said just now, 'No referendum; we'll just have an election, then we'll cancel Brexit'. Yet, even in their motion, they dare not say that; they refer to a referendum. [Interruption.] Sorry, there are an awful lot of sedentary interventions. I'm very happy to take interventions from Cabinet Ministers who have anything to say that they would like to put on the record. No? I will turn, then, to the detail of our motion, our amendment.

So, you have in your motion a reference to the Speaker of the House of Commons, and his, quotation, 'constitutional outrage'. You put that in your motion as if it adds authority to your motion, as if he is an impartial and neutral arbiter. But, actually, he's batting for your team, and the problem that the House of Commons and Parliament has had this week is, rather than having a neutral arbiter in the chair, acting impartially, they have had a biased member of the 'remain' establishment. I give way.