‘There can only be one vote and it is a decision about people’s lives’
Cheered by the Opposition, David Cameron attacks Boris Johnson and tells MPs that leaving EU will put British jobs at risk
HOLDING a second referendum after a vote to leave the European Union is “for the birds”, David Cameron said yesterday as he told MPs it would be “wrong” and “undemocratic” to ignore the will of the British people.
The Prime Minister was directly challenged by Eurosceptic Conservative MPs as he spent nearly three hours on the floor of the Commons making the case for Britain to stay in the EU.
He found himself in the unusual position of being cheered on by Labour MPs as he attacked the “irony” of Boris Johnson’s suggestion that there could be a second referendum in the event of a vote to quit the EU.
But sources close to the Mayor of London rejected the idea that he believes in the possibility of a second referendum. They said he believes “out means out” and that after a Brexit the UK could negotiate a new settlement with the EU based on trade.
Mr Cameron also made a direct appeal to Labour voters to put aside political differences and support his case for Britain to stay in. He even jokingly called Labour MPs his “new friends”. He said there were “very powerful” security arguments for Britain staying in the European Union, claiming that Vladimir Putin is the only leader who wants Britain to leave the EU.
The ‘blond bombshell’
The Prime Minister used his opening statement to directly address Boris Johnson’s article in The Daily Telegraph yesterday which suggested a vote to leave the EU could be used to negotiate a better deal for Britain.
To shouts of “more” and cheers from Labour MPs, he said: “For a Prime Minister to ignore the express will of the British people to leave the EU would not just be wrong, it’d be undemocratic.
“On diplomacy, the idea that other European countries would be ready to start a second negotiation is for the birds.
“Sadly, I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings, but I do not know of any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows.
“I want to spell out this point for the House carefully because it is important – if the British people vote to leave, there’s only one way to bring that about and that is to trigger Article 50 of the treaties and begin the process of exit.
“And the British people would rightly expect that that should start straightaway.”
Mr Johnson initially refrained from a direct attack on Mr Cameron, instead asking how his EU deal “returns sovereignty over any field of law-making to these houses of Parliament” to a heckle of “tuck your shirt in” from the Conservative benches. However, as Mr Cameron responded the Mayor of London could be seen muttering “rubbish, rubbish”.
‘New friends’ in Labour
Mr Cameron found himself repeatedly cheered and given supportive questions by Labour MPs, who back the case for Britain to stay in the EU.
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, said the deal was nothing more than a “theatrical sideshow” but Mr Cameron chose to make a conciliatory response.
“He and I disagree on many, many things,” Mr Cameron said. “We even disagree about the approach we should take in Europe. But we do both agree on one thing – Britain should be in there fighting for a good deal for our country.”
Mr Cameron even made a plea to Labour voters to join him in backing Britain staying in the EU.
He said: “While I know I can sometimes upset Labour voters, I would say to them, look, put aside what you think about this government or that rule or that law. Think about the future of your country, think about the big picture and then make the choice.”
In a sign of how unusual the political debate on the referendum is, Mr Cameron received supportive ques- tions from both Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader, and Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister.
‘A real decision about people’s lives’
The Prime Minister defended his repeated warnings of the economic consequences of a Brexit.
He suggested that leaving Europe would put jobs in danger and that Eurosceptics are risking people’s livelihoods with their simple insistence that “it will be all right on the night”.
He said: “This cannot be described as anything other than risk, uncertainty and a leap in the dark that could hurt working people in our country for years to come, and this is not some theoretical question – this is a real decision about people’s lives.
“When it comes to people’s jobs it’s simply not enough to say it’ll be all right on the night and we will work it out.”
Will Brexit increase the terror threat facing Britain?
Mr Cameron was asked about claims by Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, that Europe’s open borders policy is putting Britain at risk of a Paris-style terrorist attack.
He said: “I have become convinced that when fighting terrorism and fighting crime we rely on the police, intelligence services, the ‘Five Eyes’ partnership. But I have seen in recent years just how much this European co-operation matters.
“I do think people will ask why give up what is a system that is working to keep us safe when it takes so long to replicate outside the EU?”
Vladimir Putin wants a Brexit
Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister, urged Britain to listen to the concerns of other EU leaders on the risk of Britain leaving the European Union. Mr Cameron replied that the only person who might want the UK to leave the EU is Vladimir Putin.
He said: “In all the leaders and politicians I have met, I can’t think of any of our friends who want us to leave the EU. The only person I can think of who wants us to leave the EU is Vladimir Putin.”
Welfare and immigration
David Davis, a senior Conservative backbencher and Eurosceptic, asked the Prime Minister: “Can you tell the House by how much the welfare changes will reduce immigration from the EU in the coming year?”
Mr Cameron declined to say directly, adding that Britain’s welfare system is a “big incentive” for migrants to come to Britain. He said his deal will “restore to our country powers over welfare and powers of immigration that can make a real difference.”
He was later pressed on how soon migrants would be given access to benefits after entering the UK under the terms of his EU deal. He again declined to answer directly.
Frustration over law laid down in Brussels
Anne Main, a Conservative MP, said that EU rules had forced her to abandon plans to give children’s fancy dress and play costumes a higher British standard for flammability.
Calls for change came after the daughter of the Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman was badly burned when her Hallowe’en costume caught fire. Mrs Main told Mr Cameron: “In January I put down a Bill to try and protect our children from flammable costumes and children going up in flames.
“I pulled the Bill this month because, after discussions with [the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills] their officials told me this is a harmonised piece of legislation.
“Thousands of directives are spewed out from Brussels every year that this Government has to comply with, therefore I pulled my Bill.
“We cannot even protect our own children on something as fundamental as this because we do not have the control without the permission of Brussels.”
Mr Cameron replied: “I’ll look very carefully at the case … as I know these things can be frustrating.”
‘I do not know of any couples who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their vows’