Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I have not heard the term before, but can understand it. In this case, the Government and the officials are singing from the same hymn book and the song is called, Hands off the EU. Scrutiny is skirted around in the Bill by the use of qualifications such as "as far as practicable," by reservations about matters deemed to be confidential and by a refusal to include the notion of a negotiating mandate which would be set by the Parliament.

While this is a worthy Bill, it is a pathetic attempt to con the public into thinking that things have changed fundamentally in the way we deal with European affairs. The sad truth is that they have not changed and we will have to ensure we find a method beyond the Bill to ensure they change in the years ahead.