Emergency debate on Monday, 18 June 2018, in the House of Commons, led by Ian Blackford. The answering member was David Lidington.

Sewel Convention

Motion that this House has considered the validity of the Sewel Convention. Emergency debate following a Standing Order No. 24 application. Agreed to on division (88 to 51).

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 643 cc78-131
Session: 2017-19
Department: Cabinet Office
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: Sewel Convention
Thursday, 14 June 2018
Parliamentary proceedings
House of Commons; The Sewel Convention
Friday, 15 June 2018
Research briefings
Proceeding contributions: John Bercow | 643 c79 (Link to this contribution)
We now come to the emergency debate, and before the three hours allocated starts I state that, su...; Ian Blackford | 643 cc79-80 (Link to this contribution)
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the Sewel Convention.
First, if I may, ...; Simon Hoare | 643 c80 (Link to this contribution)
It is a bit rich for the right hon. Gentleman to say that he was gagged when he put the gag on hi...; John Bercow | 643 c80 (Link to this contribution)
Order. May I just gently say that interventions should be brief?; Ian Blackford | 643 cc80-1 (Link to this contribution)
What the hon. Gentleman has identified is that there is no defence of the rights and powers of th...; Jamie Stone | 643 c81 (Link to this contribution)
As Members know, I am one of five former MSPs in this place. The other four are on the Conservati...; Ian Blackford | 643 c81 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for that useful contribution. We have the Joint Ministerial Committee,...; Alistair Carmichael | 643 c81 (Link to this contribution)
The right hon. Gentleman refers to the Joint Ministerial Committee, but that is a mechanism for c...; Ian Blackford | 643 c81 (Link to this contribution)
I want to give credit to the other parties in the Scottish Parliament, where there has been a str...; Jonathan Edwards | 643 c81 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on his passionate speech. Does he agree that, when the Br...; Ian Blackford | 643 cc81-2 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to be reminded of that quote.
I would say to hon. Members on the Government B...; Patricia Gibson | 643 c82 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend will recall that the Conservative party fought tooth and nail against the re...; John Bercow | 643 c82 (Link to this contribution)
Order. The House must calm down. There is too much noise. Mr Bill Grant, you are a most amiable f...; Patricia Gibson | 643 c82 (Link to this contribution)
The Conservatives opposed the re-establishment of a Scottish Parliament, and we now see the apolo...; Ian Blackford | 643 c82 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is quite correct. They have form, and it goes back over a century.; 643 c82 (Link to this contribution); Ian Blackford | 643 c82 (Link to this contribution)
If I may, I would like to make some progress. I will allow interventions again later.
If th...; Douglas Ross | 643 c82 (Link to this contribution)
The right hon. Gentleman says that Conservative Members opposed devolution in 1997, but will he t...; 643 c82 (Link to this contribution)
No answer!; Ian Blackford | 643 c83 (Link to this contribution)
No answer? To use a football term, that was miles offside. If the hon. Gentleman looks on Google,...; John Bercow | 643 c83 (Link to this contribution)
Order.; Ian Blackford | 643 c83 (Link to this contribution)
The Scottish people voted overwhelmingly for that Parliament, and one of the reasons for that was...; Stephen Kerr | 643 c83 (Link to this contribution)
Last week, when we divided on the Lords amendments, we on this side of the House voted for more p...; Ian Blackford | 643 cc83-4 (Link to this contribution)
Dear, oh dear, oh dear. The hon. Gentleman should listen to and watch the reaction in Scotland, b...; Colin Clark | 643 c84 (Link to this contribution)
Will the right hon. Gentleman comment on the remarks of his party colleague, Jim Sillars, who lay...; Ian Blackford | 643 cc84-5 (Link to this contribution)
I think some of the hon. Gentlemen on the Government Benches should be auditioning for comedy hou...; John McNally | 643 c85 (Link to this contribution)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Tory Government’s re-reservation of powers and the rest ...; Ian Blackford | 643 c85 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely correct and makes a valuable point. We must be careful about the thr...; Paul Masterton | 643 c85 (Link to this contribution)
The right hon. Gentleman correctly points to 24 powers, but will he explain which of those create...; Stewart Malcolm McDonald | 643 c85 (Link to this contribution)
You’re supposed to be good!; Ian Blackford | 643 cc85-6 (Link to this contribution)
“You’re supposed to be good”? You have got to be kidding. May I respectfully suggest that the hon...; Simon Hoare | 643 c86 (Link to this contribution)
Because you walked out.; Ian Blackford | 643 c86 (Link to this contribution)
Is that a fact? What happened on Tuesday night, and it is a matter of record—it can be looked up ...; John Bercow | 643 c86 (Link to this contribution)
Order. That is a sort of rhetorical device, but it is up to the Secretary of State if he wishes t...; David Mundell | 643 c86 (Link to this contribution)
The tone of this speech—I suppose it can be called that—by the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye a...; Ian Blackford | 643 cc86-7 (Link to this contribution)
I will tell the right hon. Gentleman what does not impress Scotland: a Secretary of State for Sco...; Colin Clark | 643 c87 (Link to this contribution)
Painful.; Ian Blackford | 643 c87 (Link to this contribution)
Absolutely, it is painful. It is painful that the people of Scotland are seeing their powers take...; Ian Murray | 643 c87 (Link to this contribution)
We all heard the Secretary of State’s statement to the House on Thursday morning. Can the right h...; Ian Blackford | 643 c87 (Link to this contribution)
Yes. I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. One of the things I would say to him, and t...; Martyn Day | 643 c87 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend is making a powerful speech, with which I am happy to associate myself. I al...; Ian Blackford | 643 c88 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is correct, and that is borne out by my own experiences over the past few days. We...; Neil Gray | 643 c88 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on securing this debate and on his fantastic speech. In the S...; Ian Blackford | 643 cc88-9 (Link to this contribution)
That reminds me of the line said to the woman watching her son on parade: “They’re all out of ste...; Hannah Bardell | 643 c89 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on a stunning speech. Does he agree that, as the suffragettes...; Ian Blackford | 643 cc89-90 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention, and she is absolutely correct in what she says. The...; Lord Jack of Courance | 643 cc90-1 (Link to this contribution)
I share the disappointment that has been expressed in the
Cha...; Stephen Kerr | 643 c91 (Link to this contribution)
Does my hon. Friend agree with Jim Sillars, the former deputy leader of the Scottish National par...; Lord Jack of Courance | 643 c91 (Link to this contribution)
Obviously, I do agree with that, and I also agree with Jim Sillars—[Interruption.]; John Bercow | 643 c91 (Link to this contribution)
Order. People were talking about mutual respect, so may I explain to the House that it is discour...; Lord Jack of Courance | 643 cc91-2 (Link to this contribution)
I also agree with Jim Sillars that it is ironic that Nicola Sturgeon wants to take powers from th...; Ian Murray | 643 cc92-3 (Link to this contribution)
It is a great pleasure to be involved in this important debate and to follow the hon. Member for ...; Alistair Carmichael | 643 c93 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: the answer did lie in the timetable. The Government could...; Ian Murray | 643 c93 (Link to this contribution)
It is quite ridiculous, and I cannot help but feel that the programme motion was put in place for...; Alan Brown | 643 c93 (Link to this contribution)
I agree wholeheartedly with the hon. Gentleman’s comments on the programme motion, but on the vot...; Ian Murray | 643 c94 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman misinterprets the Labour party position; in fact, misinformation is the SNP’s ...; Joanna Cherry | 643 c94 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; Ian Murray | 643 c94 (Link to this contribution)
I will give way to the hon. and learned Lady, my constituency neighbour, if she wants to dispel t...; Joanna Cherry | 643 c94 (Link to this contribution)
Is the hon. Gentleman seriously disputing the fact that, as a result of the amendments passed las...; Ian Murray | 643 cc94-5 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. and learned Lady’s question touches on the bit of the amendment from the House of Lords ...; Joanna Cherry | 643 c95 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Ian Murray | 643 c95 (Link to this contribution)
I will not give way again to the hon. and learned Lady, because others wish to speak. She will ge...; Jamie Stone | 643 c95 (Link to this contribution)
Further to my earlier intervention on the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Ian Blac...; Ian Murray | 643 c95 (Link to this contribution)
I think that it would be constructive. If this process has shown anything, it is that the inter-g...; Peter Grant | 643 c96 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; Ian Murray | 643 cc96-7 (Link to this contribution)
I will not give way, because we will run out of time. I would hate it if the hon. Gentleman had t...; 643 c97 (Link to this contribution); John Bercow | 643 c97 (Link to this contribution)
Order. With immediate effect, a five-minute limit on Back-Bench speeches now applies because I am...; Colin Clark | 643 cc97-8 (Link to this contribution)
It is an honour to follow the hon. Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray) who said so many thing...; Stephen Gethins | 643 c98 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman talks about this democracy and compares the EU with the UK, which I find pecul...; Colin Clark | 643 c98 (Link to this contribution)
I remind the hon. Gentleman that this is the United Kingdom. We had an independence referendum. H...; Douglas Chapman | 643 c98 (Link to this contribution)
On the hon. Gentleman’s comment about undermining democracy, the point has been made many times i...; Colin Clark | 643 cc98-9 (Link to this contribution)
In the 2014 independence referendum, Scotland clearly said no. My predecessor, Alex Salmond, said...; Brendan O'Hara | 643 cc99-100 (Link to this contribution)
I rise as one of those law-abiding, taxpaying Scots that the hon. Member for Gordon (Colin Clark)...; Ross Thomson | 643 cc100-1 (Link to this contribution)
Before I get on to my speech, I want to say that the language used in this debate about Scotland ...; Alistair Carmichael | 643 cc101-2 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to this debate and, indeed, f...; Christine Jardine | 643 c102 (Link to this contribution)
Does my right hon. Friend share my frustration at the impasse that the two parties have reached—t...; Alistair Carmichael | 643 c102 (Link to this contribution)
Of course, we all know that the Conservatives opposed devolution, as did the Scottish National pa...; Peter Grant | 643 c103 (Link to this contribution)
I hear the right hon. Gentleman’s disgust at the idea that someone could walk out of the House of...; Alistair Carmichael | 643 c103 (Link to this contribution)
I have indeed been part of walkouts. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving me this extra...; Kirstene Hair | 643 cc103-4 (Link to this contribution)
Over recent months we have heard increasingly bizarre claims from SNP politicians in both this pl...; Patrick Grady | 643 cc104-5 (Link to this contribution)
I want to start on a consensual note by echoing the tributes that have been paid to the heroic wo...; Luke Graham | 643 c105 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way. He says that these powers being reserved is a fundamen...; Patrick Grady | 643 cc105-6 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman has a far more rural constituency than I do. Perhaps the farmers in his consti...; Alistair Carmichael | 643 c106 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman remind us of the role in the constitutional convention, building the blue...; Patrick Grady | 643 cc106-7 (Link to this contribution)
Of course, in the early days the Scottish National party had an interest in the process of the co...; Douglas Ross | 643 c107 (Link to this contribution)
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
“All this crowd are interested in doing is performing stunts and dis...; Jonathan Edwards | 643 c107 (Link to this contribution)
Several of the hon. Gentleman’s colleagues have referred to the deal struck by the Government of ...; Douglas Ross | 643 c108 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his intervention because I am about to speak about Wales ...; Gavin Newlands | 643 cc108-110 (Link to this contribution)
I have news for the hon. Member for Moray (Douglas Ross): the SNP supports independence.
Wh...; Luke Graham | 643 cc110-1 (Link to this contribution)
This issue is relatively simple. The EU referendum was a UK-wide vote, and more than 1 million pe...; Liz Saville Roberts | 643 cc111-3 (Link to this contribution)
Diolch yn fawr, Llefarydd. It is an honour to be the first to speak for Wales in the debate this ...; Andrew Bowie | 643 cc113-4 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful for the chance to speak tonight, because I, too, was frustrated by the Labour party...; Joanna Cherry | 643 cc114-5 (Link to this contribution)
I got the impression over the weekend that Government Members and the metropolitan commentariat w...; Stewart Malcolm McDonald | 643 c115 (Link to this contribution)
Given what my hon. and learned Friend has just informed the Chamber of, could not the Executive i...; Joanna Cherry | 643 cc115-6 (Link to this contribution)
Indeed. It is the Executive in London who are abusing their power. In the words of the BBC’s “Rea...; Paul Masterton | 643 c116 (Link to this contribution)
Aviation—compensating public service obligation air routes; carbon capture and storage; control o...; 643 c116 (Link to this contribution); John Bercow | 643 c117 (Link to this contribution)
Order. The Front-Bench spokesmen will now speak. I know that they will try to stick to 10 minutes...; Lesley Laird | 643 cc117-8 (Link to this contribution)
Let me begin by echoing some of the sentiments that have been expressed tonight about the fire at...; Jonathan Edwards | 643 c118 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Lady give way?; Lesley Laird | 643 cc118-120 (Link to this contribution)
I will not give way; the opposition has had ample time to state its case.
I have spoken to ...; David Lidington | 643 cc120-2 (Link to this contribution)
I should like to start on what I hope will be a note of consensus by expressing on behalf of the ...; 643 c122 (Link to this contribution); John Bercow | 643 c122 (Link to this contribution)
There are fewer than 24 minutes left and 10 speakers want to contribute. You can do the arithmeti...; Tommy Sheppard | 643 cc122-3 (Link to this contribution)
It is important in this debate that we distinguish between competences, which are a list of nomin...; Drew Hendry | 643 c123 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend rightly says that he believes in devolution. Are not the actions of the UK Governm...; Tommy Sheppard | 643 c123 (Link to this contribution)
That is absolutely the case.
I say to the right hon. Gentleman that I do believe in devolut...; John Bercow | 643 c123 (Link to this contribution)
I am sure you do. It was not admonition; I just want to accommodate colleagues.
9.11 pm
...; Stephen Kerr | 643 cc123-4 (Link to this contribution)
Let us consider the following:
“Castigating the Tories for a ‘power grab’ of repatriated po...; Kirsty Blackman | 643 cc124-5 (Link to this contribution)
I thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting this debate, and I thank the SNP group leader, my right hon...; Ronnie Cowan | 643 cc125-6 (Link to this contribution)
Democratically elected Members of Parliament have the right to express their views on behalf of t...; Martin Whitfield | 643 c126 (Link to this contribution)
My predecessor, J. P. Mackintosh, shared with his great friend, Donald Dewar, a passion—a passion...; Stewart Malcolm McDonald | 643 cc126-7 (Link to this contribution)
I have to say that I am somewhat confused by Scottish Conservative Members. Indeed, the Secretary...; Stuart C McDonald | 643 cc127-8 (Link to this contribution)
The Secretary of State called for perspective. From my perspective, what happened last week was t...; Paul Sweeney | 643 c128 (Link to this contribution)
What happened last week was completely unacceptable, with deplorable antics from the Tories when ...; Christine Jardine | 643 cc128-9 (Link to this contribution)
Given the time, I will be brief, which is not a phrase that my colleagues hear often.
Tonig...; Patricia Gibson | 643 c129 (Link to this contribution)
My remarks have been very truncated, so I will simply say the following. What happened last week ...; Ian Blackford | 643 c129 (Link to this contribution)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Thank you for the debate we have had this evening. This is an im...; John Bercow | 643 c131 (Link to this contribution)
Nothing disorderly has happened this evening. If the right hon. Gentleman is asking what he can d...
Subjects: Devolved matters Devolution EU law Legislation Powers Scotland Scottish Parliament Scottish National Party Legislative consent motions Brexit Sunset clauses Sewel convention
Legislation: European Union (Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on hansard.parliament.uk

Sewel Convention

Secondary information

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