tv Monday in Parliament BBC News December 11, 2018 2:30am-3:01am GMT
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on her eu withdrawal deal, in the face of an almost certain humiliating defeat. she told mps that she would be seeking new reassurances from the eu, but brussels said the deal could not be renegotiated. president macron of france has announced a rise in the minimum wage and tax changes in response to weeks of violent anti—government protests. he denied carrying out a u—turn, insisting that public spending would be kept under control. ajunior minister said the measures would cost about $10 billion. researchers in australia believe they have found a strain of coral that may be able to resist rising sea temperatures. they've been studying part of the great barrier reef which, over two consecutive years, has survived the bleaching caused by warmer water. they say it looks like that experience made the corals more resilient. now on bbc news, monday in parliament. hello and welcome to
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monday in parliament. our look at the best of the day at westminister. on this programme: it's all offer for the moment. it's all offerfor the moment. —— off for the moment. the crucial vote for teresa may's brexit deal has been postponed. we will defer the vote scheduled for tomorrow and not proceed to divide the house that this time. the leader of the opposition says it's time for labor to take over. uncertainty is building for business, people are in despair at the state of these failed negotiations. while one mp finds a festive angle to brexit. but the thing that is changing is the view of the british people. no, it's not! i know it's nearly the pantomime season, but oh yes it has. 0h
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oh no it hasn't! but first, the arithmetic of the commons was looking grim for the prime minister. she was told over the weekend, probably many times she was facing notjust defeat, but a massive defeat on her so—called meaningful vote on her brexit divorce deal. in fact, this is it. a 585—page document called the withdrawal agreement. so, would the vote get called off to avoid that defeat? ministers defiantly said "no", but at the start of the day concludes that it was not a definite no. this was the cabinet minister, amber rudd. the vote is going ahead, should it go ahead? i certainly hope so. the prime minister has confirmed that so i look forward to supporting her as we go ahead. later came indications that no meant yes. the crucial vote would be postponed, and along came theresa may to explain things to the house of commons. we've now had three days of debate
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on the withdrawal agreement, setting out the terms of our departure from the eu, and the political declaration setting out our future relationship after we have left. i've listened very carefully to what is being said in this chamber and out of it. laughter to what is being said in this chamber and out of it by members from all sides. from listening to those views, it is clear that while there is broad support for many of the key aspects of the deal, on one issue, on one issue, the northern ireland backstop, there remains widespread and deep concerns. as a result, if we went ahead and held the vote tomorrow, the deal would be rejected by a significant margin. we will therefore defer the vote scheduled for tomorrow and not proceed to divide the house at this time. she spoke about the safeguards contained on the working on the so—called backstop to avoid
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a hard border between ireland and northern ireland. but i am clear from what i have heard in this place and from my own conversations, that these elements do not offer a sufficient number of colleagues the reassurance that they need. i spoke to a number of eu leaders over the weekend, and in advance of the european council, i will go to see my counterparts in other member states and the leadership of the council and the commission. i will discuss with them the clear concerns that this house has expressed. but, mr speaker if you take a step back, it is clear that this house faces a much more fundamental question. does this house want to deliver brexit? mixedjeers a clear message from the snp...
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but if the house does, does it want to do so through reaching an agreement with the eu? if the answer is yes, and i believe that is the answer of the majority of this house, then we all have to ask ourselves whether we're prepared to make a compromise, because there will be no enduring and successful brexit without some compromise on both sides of the debate. so, if you want a second referendum to overturn the result of the first, be honest, that this risks dividing the country again. mixedjeers be honest that this risks dividing the country again, when as a house we should be striving to bring back together. and she concluded... and i am determined to do all i can to secure the reassurance this house and i am determined to do all i can to secure the reassurance this house
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requires to get this deal over the line and deliver for the british people, and i commend this statement to the house. speaker: jeremy corbyn! we're in an extremely serious and unprecedented situation. the government has lost control of events and is in complete disarray. it's been evident for weeks that the prime minister's deal did not have the confidence of this house. yet she ploughed on regardless, reiterating, " yet she ploughed on regardless, reiterating," this is the only deal available. " if she is going back to brussels, then she needs to build a consensus in this house. and since it appears business has changed for the next two days, then it seems not only possible but necessary that this house debates the negotiating mandate that the prime minister takes to brussels. there is no point, no point at all, in this prime minister bringing back the same deal again
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which clearly is not supported by this house. the government is in disarray! uncertainty is building for business, people are in despair at the state of these failed negotiations, and concerned about what it means about their jobs, their livelihood, and their communities. and the fault for that lies solely at the door of this shambolic government. the prime minister is trying to buy herself one last chance to save this deal. if she doesn't take on board the fundamental changes required, then she must make way for those who can. jeremy corbyn. immediately after the opening speeches, the commons speakerjohn bercow made plain he was not entirely happy at the way in which tuesday's crucial votes
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together with the half finished halting the debate after no fewer than 164 colleagues have taken the trouble to contribute will be thought by many members of this house to be deeply discourteous. indeed, in the hours since news of this intention emerged, many colleagues from across the house have registered that view to me in the most forceful terms. i politely suggest that in any courteous respectful, and mature environment allowing the house still have a say, its say on this matter would be the right and — dare i it — say the obvious course of date. —— to take.
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john bercow. after that the speaker kept theresa may at the dispatch box to face questions from all around the house for another 2.5 hours. the views of mps were consistently forceful. i have been sympathetic to the situation she finds herself in but i have lost that sympathy because what i understand now from today's decision is that she is actually being captured with far right brexit wing of her party, the european... so—called european research group that doesn't believe in research, she is a captive of this unpleasant nationalist, populist group in the conservative party! it may well be that the prime minister is right, this house would like to put off the vote. it needs to be this house that decides that. and prime minister, i don't think so far you've answered the question, whether the prodecure to be used is a motion of a adjourning the house, in which case this
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house would have a vote, or where it'sjust going to be by one sort of anonymous whip saying tomorrow. doesn't she realise every time she comes back here with her tail between her legs, she humiliates the british people! when will she stand up to the eu and if she is not prepared to stand up to the eu then let her have the votes of this house to tell them what we think of their rotten deal. she knows she's lost but she's still wasting precious time, mr speaker we need a prime minister to be clear about when the house will vote on this deal. this government under prime minister have failed, it's time they got out of the way. prime minister, members across this house don't want your deal. the eu don't want to negotiate. isn't the only way to break this deadlock to put it to the people? mr speaker, the prime minister has changed her mind about the vote and she has changed her mind about whether or not the backstop can be amended. so, if she can change her mind,
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why won't she just check whether the british people have changed their minds since they voted two years ago? she knows that when the politics of this place is broken, you either resign, you go back to the people in a general election or a referendum. no one gets to play for extra time before the game is over! which he now commit to going back to them to say they need to reopen the withdrawal agreement and a commitment to open borders and take out those restrictions that would take away the power and control from this parliament to future ? i want to ask the prime minister a she thinks that going back and changing the backstop is actually going to make any difference ? the kind of people but on her side who like to go around calling themselves aslam, circling around her head caring nothing about this country but only about their own position. the fiasco today, the government has
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really lost all authority. and let me just say that i and my colleagues will fully support the leader of the opposition if he now proceeds to a no—confidence vote as a duty shortly calls. —— surely. the people outside these walls see a shambles of a government and with this in mind, we will support the leader of the opposition should he as he should table a motion of no—confidence? this afternoon, the prime minister raised the threat of an accidental no deal. it is crystal clear that her deal cannot command a majority in this house, whenever we vote on it. isn't her time wasting delay simply reckless? nothing has changed in the level of parliament to concern about her deal since last week. —— parliamentary concern. the prime minister has
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still sent her ministers out this morning, her official spokesperson now at 11am this morning to say this vote was 100% going ahead. yet we still even now don't even know when she wants to bring this vote back, or even what she wants the deal to be. does she not realise how chaotic and ridiculous this makes our country look? the thing that is changing is the view of the british people. i know it's nearly the pump and a vast pantomime season, but oh yes it has. there is no majority for any option in this house, and the prime minister haven't gone back to renegotiate and not brought anything this house can accept. i would say we should not once again be boxed in by our own red lines. it's not parliament frustrating
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the will of the people, the general election be used and outcome that cannot reach a clear decision in which case we should not be afraid to give it back to the people. isn't the public entitled to a grown—up acknowledgment across this house that the issue of the backstop affects both policies? whether it's the prime minister's proposal or indeed the opposition‘s proposal to stay in the customs union or outside the single market? both require a backstop. does she agree? my honourable friend is absolutely right, any of the alternative arrangements that have been put out in contrast to the government's deal also require a backstop. theresa may. you're watching our round—up of the day at westminster. still to come: the world beyond brexit. mps focus on the controversy over palm oil. well, we knew that crucial commons vote on brexit was off for the moment, so when would it be on? after the prime minister's three—hour stint at the despatch box, her place was taken
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by the leader of the house. but the subject matter stayed largely the same — that meaningful vote. mps wanted to know when it might be. the prime minister has today unilaterally announced that she will, in her words, "defer the vote schedule for tomorrow and not proceed to divide the house at this time". neither the prime minister nor the leader of the house have today confirmed the date for the conclusion of the debate or the votes. this shows a complete disregard for parliament. all: hear, hear! and for the rights of the house, as well as the 164 honourable members who've already spoken, and i think there are almost the same number of honourable members who are about more than that who will plan to speak today and tomorrow. i can assure all honourable and right honourable members that the government will make sure there is plenty of time for further debates on brexit, including on the meaningful vote.
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all: when? what i can say to the house is that the government is under a statutory obligation under section 131b of the eu withdrawal act to have the agreement approved by a motion in this house. in such circumstances the business of the house motion agreed on the 4th of december will need to be updated through a further business motion. our constituents are watching this farce with bewilderment and bemusement with no idea how this country is being run, and the leader of the house comes up with no way forward for all of this. this is the most extraordinary moment in our political life. a moment when people ask, "where were you on brexit crisis day?" we have now reached the single biggest political crisis since suez with the biggest capitulation since napoleon's retreat from moscow. now, i asked the leader of the house last week if this vote would go
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ahead, regardless of what emerged and how much they would have defeat. she said it most definitely would. even one hour before this huge decision the government were still briefing that there would be a vote. this government is once again showing complete contempt for the sovereign parliament. why eon't she put the shabby idea of taking this vote away from us, to soften parliament, to a vote in this house rather than doing it unilaterally? this could only end very badly for the government if it continues to ignore the will of this house. tomorrow would mean 108 days until the debate of brexit. tomorrow would mean 108 days until the date of brexit. if the prime minister and the leader of the house and tend to put it off what, another month, that would mean we were down to 77. what then? willie prime minister simply picked up the goalposts, run down the football pitch, position them them when she thinks the ball might land and if it doesn't, pick them up again and run a bit furtherfor another 31 days? how long is this farce going to continue was not i can see here,
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the sound of the leaf being backward and bristol west from here. the whole house wanted to debate this. we wanted to vote on it. the people expected us to vote on it. and the government have gone and run away and hidden in the toilets. and people watching this on television will be confused and bemused, and very, very angry at the way their own parliament has led to them down. at the way their own parliament has let to them down. the government front bench should literally be ashamed of themselves. i simply do not agree with my honourable friend's assessment. later on the labour leader jeremy corbyn applied for a special emergency debate in the comments. emergency debate in the commons. on the government's decision to quell tuesday's mino vote vote. the prime minister has today
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unilaterally announced that she will differ the vote scheduled for tomorrow and not proceed to divide the house at this time. quote from her. neither the prime minister nor the leader of the house have confirmed the dates for the conclusion of the debate or the votes. this shows a disregard for parliament and the rights of this house, as well as of the 164 members who have spoken in the debate, or those who are planning to do so. once again, the decisions of parliament are being ignored. it cannot be right that the government can unilaterally alter the arrangements once this house has agreed on a timetable, without the house being given the opportunity to express its will. the public, mr speaker, we'll look at the behaviour of this government and how it treats their democratically elected representatives with despair. it is vital that the government treat parliament with respect. honour the terms of the original
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business of the house motion as agreed. and therefore seek the approval of the house, not by prime minister fear, whether to defer the meaningful vote. i would therefore be grateful, mr speaker, if you would give this application your most urgent consideration. thank you. hear, hear! the assumption must be that the right honourable gentleman is supported by members, but if members wish to stand in their place to indicate such, that is up to them to do so. it is very... clear that the... hear, hear! the right honourable gentleman, the debate will be held tomorrow as the first item of public business. the debate will last for up to three hours, and it will arise on a motion that the house has considered the specified matter
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set out in the right honourable gentleman's application. then a moment of drama. labour backbencher lloyd russell—moyle grabban the commons mace. it's a traditional and historic form of protest at westminster. the mace represents royal authority. if it's removed, the commons cannot debate or pass laws. it's disgusting! i'm grateful to a dedicated servant of the house for bringing forward the mace and restoring it to its place. i'm sorry, but under the power given to me, by standing order number 43, and i think the honourable gentleman will know the applications, i must order the honourable gentleman to withdraw immediately from the house for the remainder of this day's sitting. mr russell—moyle, please
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leave the changer. thank you. we now come to motion number two. yes. no, he must leave, he must leave or be exported. he should leave. i'm grateful to the honourable gentleman for complying with my request. finally turning away from brexit. tigers, pygmy elephants and orangutans are three of the species being hit by the world's increasing use of palm oil. it's used in everything from pizza to chocolate. shampoo to lipstick. the edible vegetable oil is produced mainly in indonesia and malaysia. but environmentalists worry that it's fuelling massive dee ford station. the wildlife charity wwf estimate palm oil can be found in up to 50% of the packaged product bought in the uk. but mr hall, mps debated a petition signed by more than 80,000 people calling for products containing unsustainably sourced palm oil to be banned. oil palm trees can only be cultivated in tropical climates. consequently rain forest
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environments across regions of asia have become prime locations for oil production. these were home to rare species that would increasingly endangered. types and species of tigers, rhinoceroses, and pygmy elephants can be found there in isolation. but in particular, the orangutan has suffered some of the greatest impact. in 2015, a report by the united nations environment programme has said that the orangutans are facing extinction due into the sustainable rates of deforestation across the island a study has indicated that over 100,000 of these beautiful creatures
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had already died as a direct result of the for station just to palm oil in the past 16 years. that is a reduction in their overall numbers my more than half in the past 16 years. world wildlife fund have been in touch in discussions with me about the recommendations they have put forward specifically in relation to working with the private sector. to address the deforestation risk in their global supply chains. as a government, we should consider demanding high environmental standards and any future trade deals with the countries across the world, that are harvesting palm oil. some digital tools are being reduced to avoid palm oil or choose brands using oil from certified sources. that is a huge step in the right direction. one example is the worldwide life on palm oil ban. continuing on that front, we can only applaud a company like this for its pledge to ban
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products with palm oil in his stores. we need more big brands and suppliers to follow. labour said the current standards were based on criteria from the group called the roundtable for sustainable palm oil. this body has over 400 members. the majority of which are from the palm oil industry or businesses which are involved in the import of palm oil, or businesses that are involved in the sale of products which contain palm oil, or from banks or other organisations that are investors in the palm oil industry. i am not suggesting that the roundtable is not genuine in its concerns about the environment. and i am not suggesting that their definition of sustainable is not one which is motivated by deep concern for the environment or for human rights orfor the biodiversity of our planet. but i am certain that there are considerations which have not been considered because those organisations which might have been able to consider them, including scientific bodies which monitor environmental detriment, have not been involved. we are acting domestically.
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but we will continue to press for global and concerted action across all the areas to ensure that we are successful. that is why we will continue to support business, other governments and civil society to develop efforts and productions that are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. and we will continue to act on that so that genuinely do our best to leave the global environment and a better condition for the next generation. the debate over palm oil. that is it for this programme. david cornock will be here for the rest of the week. but for now from me, keith macdougall, goodbye. hello. quiet on the weather front and not
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an awful lot of change in the next few days. tuesday is going to be quiet. lots of cloud across the uk overnight intojust quiet. lots of cloud across the uk overnight into just about tuesday. lots of cloud around many western areas remaining overcast during the course of tuesday. here is where we would have had their clear sky. a touch of rust on tuesday, no lower than —1 or minus two degrees. further west and south, the milder it will be. not much happens on the weather front. we have a weather front approaching ireland but it will not make much inroads. it will be stuck for much of tuesday. a dry day to many of us. that it
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conditions for much of the country. some sunshine around but not an awful lot. this high pressure across scandinavia and the rest of europe is preventing these lows to come all ways. it cannot quite reach the uk. there might be a few spits and spots of rain in western areas on wednesday on the whole the high pressure the east is winning and sending the dry weather from the continent alleway. they think a day of cloud and maybe a few glimmers of brightness on wednesday for most of us. brightness on wednesday for most of us. on thursday, east south—easterly winds from the uk, cold airfrom eastern parts of europe. temperatures will struggle and it will be pretty chilly with the wind chill. on the thermometer it will be 5- chill. on the thermometer it will be 5— six degrees. it will feel freezing with the wind factor.
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friday, as we head through it and saturday, finally these low pressure is will wind and, yes, a bit of snow potentially appearing mostly north of the pennines so we are watching that closely. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: the british prime minister postpones a vote in parliament on her brexit plan because, she admits, it would have been defeated. if we went ahead and held the vote tomorrow, the deal would be rejected by a significant margin. we will therefore defer the vote scheduled for tomorrow. after a fourth weekend of violent protests, france's president promises a rise in the minimum wage and tax cuts. a siberian policeman, russia's most prolific mass murderer in modern times, gets a second life
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