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Boris Johnson says EU nationals will have an absolute right to remain after Brexit – live news Boris Johnson backs amnesty for up to 500,000 undocumented migrants – live news
(about 1 hour later)
Labour’s Diana Johnson asks Johnson what his priorty is: Crossrail for the north, between Hull and Liverpool, or Crossrail 2 in London. Campaigners for EU nationals have expressed disappointment that Boris Johnson did not commit to new legislation to seal their rights to remain in the UK post Brexit.
Johnson says he cannot choose between them. That is like asking a tigress to choose between her cubs, he says. They were hoping he would use his first appearance at the despatch box to put flesh on the bones of his campaign pledge to ensure all their rights were guaranteed post Brexit.
Asked about immigration, Johnson says the effectively there is already an amnesty for migrants who have been in the country illegally for many years. He says the government should consider the case for formalising this. They are looking for a “declaratory” system which would require EU citizens to simply register as living in the UK, rather than apply for the right to stay as they do under the current settled status scheme.
Johnson floats idea of amnesty for illegal immigrants. Nicolas Hatton, co-founder of the3million, said:
This is an idea that Johnson has floated before. Another damp squib on citizens rights by another prime minister. No commitment to fully protect our rights for our lifetime but vague guarantee as if it was 2016. Meanwhile, EU citizens in the UK and Brits in Europe are still the bargaining chips of the Brexit negotiations.
Giles Watling, a Conservative, asks if Johnson can improve the rail service to places like Clacton, his constiuency. British in Europe are astonished that for a second day running Johnson did not refer to the 1.2m who are living on the continent.
Johnson says he wants to use infrastructure to level up the country. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, and her Welsh opposite number Mark Drakeford have written jointly to Boris Johnson urging him to abandon plans for a “catastrophic” no deal Brexit.
Johnson repeats his point about how the SNP would have to campaign to hand back control of fishing to the EU after Brexit if it continued to campaign for EU membership. He says he expects the party to perform a U-turn on that at some point. Calling for urgent inter-governmental talks, the duo also urged Johnson to give both devolved governments an equal say in the planning for Brexit, alongside guarantees that neither government would be financially worse off as a result of leaving the EU and get a fair share of any post-Brexit emergency funding.
Catherine West, the Labour MP, says Johnson believes in the London living wage. But many government departments do not pay it. Will Johnson commit to ensuring that they do pay it. Johnson is thought to be planning a tour of the UK within the next week, with some speculation he will travel to the north east of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which will bring these questions to the fore.
Johnson says all government departments should pay their cleaners the London living wage. Sturgeon and Drakeford also called on Johnson to prepare the UK for a second EU referendum, pointing out that both the Welsh and Scottish governments officially backed a second vote on Brexit.
Chris Leslie, of the Independent Group for Change, asks if Johnson agrees with Priti Patel on the death penalty. They said they were still making preparations for a no deal Brexit, but added that that option would be disastrous. They said:
Johnson says he abhors the death penalty. But he says he does want to see serious offenders serve their sentences properly. He says Labour MPs should realise that this is what their constituents want. It would be unconscionable for a UK government to contemplate a chaotic no-deal exit, and we urge you to reject this possibility clearly and unambiguously as soon as possible.
Labour’s Anneliese Dodds asks why Johnson said so little about the climate emergency if he really cares about it. We are also clear that the decision on EU exit must now be put back to the people. It is the policy of both governments that the UK parliament should legislate for a further referendum. If such a referendum is held we will argue strongly that the UK should remain in the EU.
Johnson says the Conservatives are the only party that believes private sector-driven new technology can provide a solution to the problem. In a lengthy shopping list of demands, they asked for a seat in any trade talks post-Brexit with the EU and other countries which honoured recent promises by David Lidington, Michael Gove’s predecessor as Cabinet Office minister, to increase their involvement.
Labour’s Clive Efford says the leave campaign wanted to restore parliamentary sovereignty. So why has Johnson hired an adviser, Dominic Cummings, found in contempt of parliament. They also asked for Theresa May’s immigration white paper to be replaced by new measures to guarantee migration policy did not damage the Scottish and Welsh economies. The Tories have already said May’s proposals, including a £30,000 minimum salary for new entrants, would be scrapped. However, Priti Patel, the new home secretary, is an immigration hardliner who supported May’s “hostile environment” strategy.
Johnson ignores the question and says it is a disgrace Labour wants to reverse the referendum result. The Irish government has expressed “alarm” at the new approach of the Boris Johnson’s approach to Brexit and Ireland.
Asked what changes he wants to the withdrawal agreement, Johnson says the first step should be to get rid of the backstop. Asked what he thought about the new cabinet, Michael Creed, agriculture minister said “the make up of this government seems to be a mirror image of his own viewpoint substantially and obviously that would be of concern to us”
Alec Shelbrooke, a Conservative, asks if Johnson will back his plan to ban unpaid internships. Speaking as the Irish cabinet met in Donegal, Creed added:
Johnson says Shelbrooke is “entirely right”. People should get jobs on merit. What the government is concerned about now is the approach of new administration in UK to the withdrawal agreement. We see that as the way to have a planned withdrawal arrangement and obviously what we are hearing from the government is quite alarming.
Mark Menzies, a Conservative, asks if Johnson will commit to more spending on small transport projects. But we consider all of those matters when we have greater clarity about the intention of the government in the UK.
Johnson jokes that he has lost count of how many road schemes he has committed to backing. This is what Boris Johnson said during his statement about considering an amnesty for migrants in the UK illegally. He was responding to a question from the Labour MP Rupa Huq, who said that when Johnson was mayor of London he proposed an amnesty for illegal immigrants. (It is an idea that Johnson has long advocated, and one that he did raise during the Tory leadership contest, but only tentatively.) Huq said, now Johnson was in a position to do something about this, he could show whether or not he was a man of his word.
Labour’s Stephen Kinnock says the Tory manifesto said there would be a deal. So does Johnson accept he has no mandate for no deal. Johnson insisted he was still committed to the idea. He told her:
Johnson says the party also said no deal would be better than a bad deal. It is absolutely true that I have raised it several times [when] I was in government. I must say, it did not receive an overwhelming endorsement from the previous prime minister when I raised it in cabinet.
Labour’s Peter Kyle asks what legal changes Johnson wants to introduce to enhance workers’ rights that would not be allowed if the UK remained in the EU? But I have to say I do think our arrangements – theoretically being committed to the expulsion of perhaps half a million people who don’t have the correct papers and who may have been living and working here for many, many years without being involved in any criminal activity at all – I think that legal position is anomalous.
Johnson says that is for the Commons to decide. And we saw the difficulties that that kind of problem occasioned in the Windrush fiasco. We know the difficulties that can be caused.
Peter Bone, the Tory Brexiter, says for the first time in months he has slept soundly. Will Johnson ensure that continues? And I do think – yes, I will answer [Huq] directly – I do think we need to look at our arrangements for people who have lived and worked here for a long time, unable to enter the economy, unable to participate properly or pay taxes without documents.
Johnson says he is going to take the country out of the EU by 31 October. We should look at it. And the truth is the law already basically allows them an effective amnesty. That’s basically where things have settled down. But we should look at the the economic advantages and disadvantages of going ahead with the policy that [Huq] described and which I think she and I share.
Labour’s Chi Onwurah asks Johnson to give the three things he admires most about the north-east. Theresa May was not in the chamber for Boris Johnson’s statement. Along with Greg Clark, the former business secretary, and David Gauke, the former justice secretary, she has been at Lords watching the England v Ireland test match. All three left the cabinet yesterday. Gauke and Clark are seen as leading members of the “Gaukward squad”, former ministers set to oppose any attempt to take the UK out of the EU without a deal, and that fact that they’re with May will fuel suspicions that she is an honorary member too.
Johnson says the people of the north-east should answer that. It would be patronising for him to answer. But he does know that the north-east is the only region of the county that is a net exporter, he says. Johnson has now finished. He was on his feet for two and a half hours.
Henry Smith, a Conservative, asks when MPs will know how many extra police officers each force area will get. John Bercow, the Speaker, said he took 129 questions.
As soon as possible, Johnson says. I will post a summary and reaction soon.
The SNP’s Stephen Gethins asks Johnson to accept that he was wrong to say kipper packaging rules are made by the EU.
Johnson says it is extraordinary that the SNP has decided to respond to the issue of fish, given that their policy would keep Scotland in the common fisheries policy.
Johnson refuses to acknowledge that he falsely blamed the EU for deciding new rules on kipper packaging.
The SNP’s Peter Grant says the assurances in the settled status scheme do not offer EU nationals the same rights they have now. Will Johnson ensure people keep the rights they have now?
Johnson says the government is giving those assurances. It wants to see them reciprocated by other EU nations.
Gavin Shuker, the independent MP, asks if Johnson will hold a confidence vote in September.
Johnson says the right thing to do is to go ahead and deliver Brexit.
The SNP’s Tommy Sheppard asks if Johnson will respect a decision by the Scottish parliament to decide to consult people on independence.
Johnson says the decision was taken in 2014. That was the right one.
Johnson refuses to commit to allowing the Scottish parliament to hold another referendum on independence.