The Constitutional Affairs Committee (AFCO) vote on their recommendation to Parliament on whether it should grant its consent to the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, in the European Parliament in Brussels. The final vote in plenary, scheduled for 29 January in Brussels, will take place if the UK has ratified fully the Agreement by then. Vote and statements by Antonio TAJANI (EPP, IT), Richard CORBETT (S&D, UK) and Martina ANDERSON (GUE/NGL, UK).

Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community: extracts from the vote and statements by UK AFCO members

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SOUNDBITE (English), Antonio TAJANI (EPP, IT), Now we vote, it is a roll call vote. Do you have your card? Vote on the draft recommendation on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community. Are you ready? The vote is open.

SOUNDBITE (English), Antonio TAJANI (EPP, IT), Is it ok? The vote is closed. 26 votes, 23 in favour, 3 against, no abstention. The text is approved.

SOUNDBITE (English), Richard CORBETT (S&amp;D, UK), It is of course a matter of great personal sadness to me that my last act in this Committee after so many years is to vote on the withdrawal of my country from the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Richard CORBETT (S&amp;D, UK), But it is already apparently clear that Mr Johnson intends to have a distant relationship to the European Union. Outside the customs union, outside the single market, not even aligned with European standards. Not much scope it would appear to participate in the security and police cooperation arrangements, in the Erasmus student exchange program, in research programs, that is not in any way guaranteed, as we see things stand at the moment. So proceeding with Brexit on this basis, without allowing the British public to votes on the actual Brexit deal in the referendum, not just the principle as was the case nearly 4 years ago, but on the actual outcome. That is like saying to the public now: "You had your say 4 years ago, now you have to shut up and accept whatever the Government comes up with". That is not democratic.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martina ANDERSON (GUE/NGL, UK), Listening to the British Prime Minister yesterday evening, some of you may have heard him in the Parliament when he was asked a question about honouring the major agreement and whether there would be unfettered access for goods coming from Britain into the Northern Ireland. And his response was emphatically there would be. I cannot say to the MEPs that have been listening to all this process that some of you should not be surprised the Boris Johnson now is assessing and is telling people that there will be no checks on the Irish sea. No one knows the British establishment better than us. And we warned people on the negotiate and just to repeat, because I said it quite often, the British establishment when they are in negotiations with you they find out what your bottom line is and then tell you that they sign off on an agreement with you and they walk out the door and they negotiate downwards. And try to start a fresh negotiation.

Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community: extracts from the vote and statements by UK AFCO members

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