Andrew Adonis – 2020 Speech on the Future Relationship with the EU Bill

The speech made by Andrew Adonis in the House of Lords on 30 December 2020.

I am sure it is much better to say exactly what we think about public affairs and this is certainly not a time when it is worth anyone’s while to court political popularity. I will therefore begin by saying what everybody would like to ignore or forget, but which must be stated, that

“we have sustained a total and unmitigated defeat”.—[Official Report, Commons, 5/10/1938; col. 360.]

Those were Winston Churchill’s words in the House of Commons on the Munich agreement 82 years ago. Alas, they apply word for word to the Brexit agreement we are being asked to rubber-stamp today.