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European Union (Amendment) Bill

Earlier, the right hon. Gentleman seemed to be saying that he would like the opportunity to amend the treaty. It has never been the practice of the House to amend treaties, particularly multilateral treaties. One has to accept or reject them, and there is no possibility of amendment. He says that the matter is final, but that is to disregard an important provision that I thought that he, and many of his more Eurosceptic colleagues, would welcome. For the first time in any European treaty, article 49A introduces the possibility of secession. It is possible for the House to avail itself of that provision, and to secede from the European Union, at any time. In that sense, the move is clearly not final.