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Proceeding contribution from Ben Coleman (Labour) in the House of Commons on Friday, 6 December 2024. It occurred during Debate on bill on European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) Bill.


European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) Bill

I find myself surprised to agree to an extent with the former leader of the Conservative party, the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith): we need to move away from some of the ridiculous, extreme language. There is no reason why the European Union would want to colonise Northern Ireland. Are we not talking about a sensible agreement that does not seek to impose sovereignty but instead seeks simply to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, to safeguard the Good Friday agreement in all its dimensions and, at the same time, protect Northern Ireland’s place in the UK and in the UK internal market? Should we not recognise that and stop using extreme language that does nothing to take the debate sensibly forward?


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
758 c577 
Session
2024-26
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Consumers Belfast Agreement Borders Equality EU countries EU law Drugs Imports International law Economic growth Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Assembly Standards Sovereignty Safety Northern Ireland Protocol UK trade with EU Brexit Windsor Framework UK internal trade
Legislation
European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) Bill 2024-26
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on hansard.parliament.uk