Brexit minister REBUKES Soubry during TENSE Brexit clash in the Commons
BREXIT minister Steve Baker offered a fiery rebuke to Conservative MP Anna Soubry after the Remainer accused her colleague of not attending key debates on the UK’s European Union divorce.
Brexit minister rebukes Soubry during TENSE Brexit clash
MPs were debating the release of a set of 58 studies about the impact of Brexit on key areas of the UK economy.
A Labour-backed motion passed through the House of Commons unanimously after the Conservatives MPs were ordered not to vote against it.
Commons Speaker John Bercow has now ordered the Government to publish the studies, suggesting the vote should be complied with “very promptly indeed”.
Ms Soubry, the MP for Broxtowe, used a Commons debate on the matter to declare it a “gross contempt” for the Government to not disclose the information quickly.
My Right Honourable friend is she is being unnecessarily unkind to me, I am sure I did attend
She blast: “Mr Speaker, I attended, unlike the minister, the entirety of the debate, I’ve gone back on my phone, looking at the words from the minister, the Honourable Member for Worcester.
“And, I make it absolutely clear, Hansard is absolutely clear in its recollection of that debate, and the nuts and bolts of it were about redaction.
“The argument that was advanced by the Government, that there was material within these papers that would be commercially sensitive, possibly have some impact on the negotiations.
Sir Bill Cash slams Anna Soubry in heated parliament debate
“Would the minister, please, take this matter seriously. This is a gross contempt of this place.
“The Government was specifically asked if it wasn’t going to vote against the motion then what was its problem? Disclose this material and disclose it properly and quickly!”
Steve Baker, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, however, fired back at Ms Soubry, accusing her of being “unkind”.
He said: “Mr Speaker, what I would say to my Right Honourable friend is she is being unnecessarily unkind to me, I am sure I did attend the entire debate.
“I may have possibly slipped out briefly, I may have to watch the video across the weekend.”
Mr Baker then said it was, in fact, Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary, Sir Keir Starmer who had offered the opportunity for redaction in the documents.
He added: “He did it in his opening speech!”