[Applause]
[Music]
the leader of the Opposition Jeremy
Corbyn Thank You mr. Speaker I join you
in thanking all the staff that have come
into the house this morning to help us
cleaning staff catering staff security
staff officials and our own staff
they've given up a weekend in order to
help our deliberations I also want to
thank the Prime Minister for an advanced
copy of his statement he has
renegotiated their withdrawal agreement
and made it even worse
he's renegotiated the political
declaration and made that even worse
we're having a debate today on a text to
which there is no economic impact
assessment and no accompanying legal
advice this government has sought to
avoid scrutiny throughout the process
and yesterday evening made empty
promises on workers rights and the
environment the same government that
spent the last few weeks negotiating in
secret to remove from the withdrawal
agreement legally binding commitments on
workers rights and the environment this
government cannot be trusted and these
benches will not be duped neither will
the government neither mr. speaker will
the government's own workers the head of
the civil service union prospect
yesterday met the right honourable
member for Surrey Heath and at the
conclusion of that meeting he said and I
quote I asked for reassurances that the
government would not diverge on workers
rights after brexit he could not give me
those assurances and as for the
much-hyped world-leading environment
bill the legally binding targets will
not be enforceable until 2037 for this
government the climate emergency can
always wait mr. speaker this deal risks
people's jobs rights at work our
environment and our national health
service we must be honest about what
this deal means for our
during industry and people's jobs not
only does it reduce access to the market
of our biggest trading partner it leaves
us without a customs union which will
damage industries all across this
country in every one of our
constituencies from Nissan in Sunderland
Heintz in Wigan Airbus in Broughton and
Jaguar Land Rover in Birmingham
thousands of British jobs depend on a
strong manufacturing sector and a strong
manufacturing sector needs markets
through fluid supply chains all across
the European Union a vote for this deal
would be a vote to cut manufacturing
jobs all across this country this deal
mr. speaker would inevitably and
absolutely inevitably lead to a trump
trade deal forcing the UK forcing the UK
to diverge from the highest standards
and expose our families once again to
chlorine wash chicken and hormone
treated beef
this deal would I did say that the
statement by the Prime Minister must be
heard the response of the leader of the
Opposition the best traditions have must
also be heard and it will Jeremy Corbyn
ills to enshrine the principle that we
keep pace with the European Union on
environmental standards and protections
putting at risk our current rules from
air pollution standards to chemical
safety we all know the public concern
about these issues all at the same time
that we're facing a climate emergency
and as for workers rights
we simply cannot give the government a
blank check mr. speaker you don't have
to take my word for all of this listen
for example to the tea you see general
secretary Frances R Grady who says this
she does she does represent an
organization she does represent an
organization that has six million
members affiliated to it this deal mr.
speaker would be a disaster for working
people it would hammer the economy cost
jobs and sell workers rights down the
river listen to make UK representing
British manufactures who say and I quote
this is make UK's comments on this deal
members opposite might care to listen to
them commitments to the closest possible
trading relationships in goods have gone
under this deal differences in
regulation between the UK and the EU
will add cost and bureaucracy our
companies will face a lack of clarity
inhibiting investment and planning
listen also it's the Green Alliance who
said the deal amounted to a very sad
brexit read from a climate per sec
perspective the message mr. speaker is
clear this deal is not good for jobs
damaging for our industry and a threat
to our environment and our natural world
it's not a good deal for our country and
future generations will feel the impact
it should be voted down today by this
heresy mr. speaker
I also totally understand the
frustration and the fatigue across the
country and in this house but we simply
cannot vote for a deal that is even
worse than the one the house rejected
three times the government's own
economic analysis shows this deal would
make the poorest regions even poorer and
cost each person in this country over
2,000 pounds per year if we vote for a
deal that makes our constituents poorer
we are not likely to be forgiven for
doing that mr. speaker the government is
claiming that if we support their deal
it will get brexit done
and that backing them today is the only
way to stop a No Deal I simply say
nonsense supporting the government this
afternoon would merely fire the starting
pistol in a race a race to the bottom in
regulations and standards and if anyone
had any doubts about this we only have
to listen to what their own honorable
members have been saying like the one
yesterday who rather let the cat out of
the bag saying members should back this
deal as it means we can leave with no
deal by 2020 the cat has truly got out
of the bag so can the Prime Minister
confirm whether this is the case and
that if a free trade agreement has not
been done it would mean Britain falling
on to World Trade Organization terms by
December next year with only Northern
Ireland having preferential access to
the EU market
no wonder the foreign secretary said
that this represents and I quote a
cracking deal for Northern Ireland they
would retain frictionless access to the
single market it does beg the question
mr. speaker why can't the rest of the UK
get a cracking deal by maintaining
access to the single market the t-shirt
said and I quote it allows the All
Ireland economy to continue to develop
and one which protects the European
single market some members of this house
do welcome an All Ireland economy but I
didn't think that included the
government and the conservative and
unionist party the Prime Minister
declared in the summer under no
circumstances will I allow the EU or
anyone else to create any kind of
division down the Irish Sea you cannot
trust a word that he says
mr. speaker voting for a deal today
won't end brexit it won't deliver
certainty and the people should have the
final say labour is not prepared to sell
out the communities that we represent we
we are not prepared we are not prepared
to sell out their future and we will not
back this sell out deal this is about
our communities now and about our future
generations the Prime Minister Mr
Speaker I must confess that I am
disappointed by the tone that the
because I I had thought that he might
rise to the occasion and see that the
electorate broadly and indeed the
electorate I be that I believe his his
own electorate would want to do manage
to get brexit done and I I must say I I
thought that he would wish to reflect
the will of the people who voted for
brexit and such numbers in 2016 and have
waited for a very long time he's wrong
about environmental and social
protection this government this country
will maintain the very highest standards
and we will lead in Environmental
Protection and social protection across
Europe and the world we lead for
instance in our commitment to be carbon
neutral by 2050 and as I've told him
many times before this this freedom
brett's it gives us the opportunity to
do things that we have not been able to
do and that are deeply desired by the
British people such as banning the live
export of animals and I do think to say
nothing of sharpens and many many other
things that we can do differently and
and better he is wrong mr. speaker about
business the overwhelming view of
business is that there are great
opportunities from
but also as both so Stewart roses both
Stewart Rose who I think was a former
chairman of the remain campaign and and
the governor of the Bank of England have
said today this is a good deal for the
British economy as I look ahead mr.
speaker the only risk I see to the
British economy are the catastrophic
plans of the right honourable gentleman
and and his semi Marxist party what what
British business wants is the certainty
and the stability of getting brexit done
on October the 31st and then the
opportunity to build a new future with
our European partners and to do free
trade deals around the world mr. speaker
he's wrong about Northern Ireland which
will exit the EU customs union along
with the rest of the UK I may say in
defiance in defiance of what the
Commission and indeed the Irish
government had intended and he talks
about trust mr. speaker mr. me I can't
this is a this is a right honorable
chair I did I don't wish to be
unnecessarily adversarial today this is
a this is a right honourable gentleman
this is a right honourable gentleman who
does that who patently does not trust
his own party he doesn't trust the
shadow he doesn't cross the shadow
chancellor above all he has not been
willing to trust the people of this
country by granting them by granting
the right to adjudicate on him and his
policies in a general election he won't
trust the people and he doesn't trust
the people by delivering on the results
of their referendum in 2016
Mr Speaker I suggest in all humility and
candor to the house that they should
ignore they should ignore the pleadings
of the Honorable gentleman and vote for
an excellent deal that will take this
country and take the whole of Europe
forward
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