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Lawmakers Vote On A Menu Of Brexit Options, Israel Again Ramping Up Military Presence At The Border With Gaza. Aired: 8-9a ET
Aired March 27, 2019 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST, NEWS STREAM: Welcome to "News Stream." I'm Kristi Lu Stout in Hong Kong.
JULIA CHATTERLEY, ANCHOR, CNN: And I'm Julia Chatterley outside the British Houses of Parliament in London. We begin in Westminster where
Parliament is preparing to have its say on how Britain should leave the European Union in a couple of hours.
Lawmakers vote on a menu of Brexit options, some of these may include no deal, a second referendum and the Norway plus, a so-called softer Brexit
option. All this in the hope that Parliament will find a Plan B to the Prime Minister's own deal. She is due in the House of Commons any moment
now for Prime Minister's Questions or grilling, we could perhaps call it. We will bring thaw live as it happens.
In the meantime, as British Members of Parliament consider the Brexit riddle across the channel in the European Union. The Commission Chief,
Jean-Claude Juncker gave us his take.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN UNION (Through a translator): If I were to compare Great Britain to a sphynx, the sphynx would be an open
book by comparison, and let's see how the book speaks over the next week or so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: An open book by comparison. Nic Robertson is outside 10 Downing Street. Some people might perhaps agree with him on this one
occasion, at least, Nic. So many potential options here to be debated and vote on tonight. The question is does it move us forward and do we get any
further clarity as a result?
NIC ROBERTSON, INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR, CNN: Sure. It's sort of a veritable beauty pageant of ideas open to Parliamentarians. The Speaker of
course expected to whittle down from something like 16 as the number of options at the moment, possibly seven or so.
It might bring us a little bit closer. I don't think anyone can be really, really sure, but I think where people view this at the moment, a couple of
central options might emerge as more popular than others, but nothing sort of streaking way ahead of the pack, which will give the Prime Minister some
comfort, because all along, she said this is a very tough thing to do and her deal is not the ideal deal, but it's the best deal that delivers on the
will of the people.
So the Parliamentarians now will have these options and it will be made relatively straightforward for them. All the options will be put --
absolutely.
CHATTERLEY: Nic, I'm going interrupt you there because very promptly, Prime Minister's Questions are beginning. Let's listen in to what MPs are
saying.
STEWART HOSIE, BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, SCOTTISH NATIONALIST PARTY: .... any MP in this House voting according to the conscience. That fault
lies with the Prime Minister who is the architect of the withdrawal deal.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.
HOSIE: So can she finally concede to the House she is liable, responsible, culpable for the chaos which is the Brexit debacle and when she will be
resigning?
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.
JOHN BERCOW, SPEAKER, BRITISH HOUSE OF COMMONS: Prime Minister.
THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: To the Honorable Gentleman, the Brexit deal delivers on the result of the referendum. Now, the Honorable
Gentleman has a different view to me. I know he does not want to deliver on the result of the referendum. He wants to try and keep the United
Kingdom in the European Union; 17.4 million people voted to take us out of the European Union and that is what we are going to do.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.
BERCOW: Andrew Bridgen.
ANDREW BRIDGEN, BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, CONSERVATIVE PARTY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. North West Leicestershire voted overwhelmingly to leave
the European Union and for the past two years, the Prime Minister has told my constituents on over a hundred occasions that we will be leaving on 29th
March 2019 with or without a withdrawal agreement. At the last minute, she begs our E.U. masters for an extension to Article 50, delaying our
departure. Does my right Honorable Friend realize that the good people of North West Leicestershire, they will forgive her for this? Mr. Speaker,
they are good people, but they are not stupid people, and they will never trust the Prime Minister again.
BERCOW: Prime Minister.
MAY: Could I say to right Honorable friend that I hope that the -- I hope the message he will take back to his constituents is a very simple one,
which is we can indeed guarantee delivering on Brexit; we can guarantee delivering on Brexit if this week he and others in this House support the
deal.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.
BERCOW: Jeremy Corbyn.
JEREMY CORBYN, LEADER, LABOUR PARTY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This chaotic and incompetent Government has driven our country into chaos. You know the
scale of the crisis, Mr. Speaker when the TUC and the CBI are united in writing to the Prime Minister saying that a Plan B must be found to protect
workers, the economy and the Irish border.
My question on Monday went unanswered, so will the Prime Minister now say, what is her Plan B?
BERCOW: Prime Minister.
[08:05:07]
MAY: Can I say to the right Honorable Gentleman, as he knows, we are continuing to work to ensure that we can deliver Brexit for the British
people and guarantee that we deliver Brexit for the British people.
We have a deal which cancels our E.U. membership fee, which stops the E.U. making our laws, which gives us our own immigration policy, ends the common
agricultural policy for good, and ends the common fisheries policy for good. Other options do not do that. Other options would lead to delay, to
uncertainty, and risk never delivering Brexit.
BERCOW: Jeremy Corbyn.
CORBYN: Mr. Speaker, the only problem with the Prime Minister's answer is that her deal has been twice defeated in this House, in one case, Mr.
Speaker, the largest ever majority by which a Government has lost a vote in our recorded Parliamentary history. Reports today suggest that a former
Conservative Prime Minister is telling Conservative MPs that pursuing a Customs Union with the E.U. is the best way of getting Brexit over the
line. Does she agree with him, and will she be supporting any motions for a Customs Union this afternoon?
BERCOW: Prime Minister.
MAY: To the right Honorable gentleman, what we have negotiated, the Government still negotiated with the European Union delivers the benefits
of a Customs Union, while enabling us to have an independent free trade policy, to negotiate free trade agreements in our interests and not rely on
Brussels to negotiate them for us.
He used to stand up for independent trade policy; now he wants a Customs Union, now he wants to throw away the idea of an independent trade policy
and leave Brussels negotiating for us. We want to negotiate our trade in our interests and the interests of people across this country.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.
BERCOW: Jeremy Corbyn.
CORBYN: She knows perfectly well that our policy is for a Customs Union in order to protect jobs, in order to society, and she will also know that the
TUC and the CBI have called for a Customs Union as part of a deal. In fact, the letter they wrote to all MPs yesterday saying a deal that
delivers a Customs Union and strong alignment between the U.K. and the E.U. rules is the preferred outcome for the business community. So it is a bit
strange when a Conservative Prime Minister says she does not want what the business community want. These are indeed strange times, Mr. Speaker. Can
the Prime Minister say why she will not include a Customs Union in the options that will be discussed today?
BERCOW: Prime Minister.
MAY: Can I suggest to the right Honorable Gentleman that he does not just read the question that he had thought of previously, but actually listens
to the answer that I gave to his previous question? And I will repeat it again because the right Honorable Gentleman stood on a platform to be able
to do trade deals, to have an independent trade policy and to deliver Brexit.
His policy on a Customs Union breaks the first promise. He has never explained why he wants to abandon an independent trade policy, and his
policy on a second referendum breaks his second promise. Whatever happened to straight-talking honest politics?
BERCOW: Jeremy Corbyn.
CORBYN: Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not seem to realize that she does not have a deal that has been supported by this House, and that our
proposals for a Customs Union do give us alignment on workers' rights, consumer standards and environmental protections; and do not begin with a
race to the bottom, which is what she and many of her Front Bench actually want. Earlier this week, Mr. Speaker, the Business Minister resigned from
the Government saying that the Government's approach to Brexit was playing roulette with the lives and livelihoods of the vast majority of people of
this country.
Why is she prepared to carry on risking jobs and industry in another attempt to yet again run down the clock and try to blackmail the MPs behind
her into supporting a deal that has already been twice rejected?
BERCOW: Prime Minister.
MAY: I'd say to the right Honorable Gentleman, we have been negotiating in order to protect jobs. What he says about a race to the bottom is wrong,
as he well knows. We have been working across this House. It is absolutely clear in the political declaration that we agree to not falling
back on workers' rights, but also, we are Government that has enhanced workers' rights.
The U.K. -- this is the problem. The Labour Party can never stand it when they are told that Conservatives have stood up for workers, because that is
what the Conservative Party does. We have enhanced workers' rights. We stand up for workers with our tax cuts, with our national minimum wage and
with higher employment.
BERCOW: Jeremy Corbyn.
[08:10:00]
CORBYN: Mr. Speaker, in a straight question to the Prime Minister, she was unable to guarantee what is called dynamic alignment with European
standards, and she knows full well that Labour's proposals are to use EU standards as a baseline from which we would improve them, including giving
workers full rights at work from day one of their employment and ending zero-hours contracts and many other things.
In his resignation letter, Mr. Speaker, the Business Minister also said to the Prime Minister that he hoped that she would now act in the national
interest and enable Parliament this week to find a consensus negotiating position.
If today or on Monday, a consensus alternative plan emerges across the House, will the Prime Minister accept that decision of the House and accept
it as the basis for the U.K.'s negotiating position with the E.U. hence forward?
BERCOW: Prime Minister.
MAY: To the right Honorable Gentleman, the objective that we should all have is being able to deliver Brexit and guarantee delivering Brexit to the
British people. And the right Honorable Gentleman stands there asks me and raises this issue of workers' rights. We have been very clear about non-
regression in relation to workers' rights environmental standards. He shakes his head, it is in black and white in the political declaration that
has been agreed.
But we have also been clear -- he ends his question and I am hearing the shadow Trade Secretary is shouting from a sedentary position about
listening to Parliament. What we are going to do on workers' right is say that there's actually, no, we won't simply accept automatically what the
European Union does; we will listen to Parliament and give Parliament a say in that. I thought he wanted Parliament to have a say in these things.
BERCOW: Jeremy Corbyn.
CORBYN: That sounds awfully like a recipe for regression away from those standards and for damaging workers' rights.
Mr. Speaker, after the two largest defeats ever in Parliamentary history, surely the Prime Minister should be listening to Parliament. She did not
answer my question about whether an agreement reached in this House would become the negotiating position of the government. I think that the House
and, perhaps more importantly, the whole country deserves to know the answer to that question.
Mr. Speaker, this country is on hold while the Government is in complete paralysis. The vital issues facing our country from the devastation of
public services to homelessness, to knife crime have been neglected. The Prime Minister is failing to deliver Brexit because she cannot build a
consensus, is unable to compromise and unable to reunite the country.
Instead, she is stoking further division. She is unable to resolve the central issues facing Britain today, and she is, frankly, unable to govern.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker a very clear choice -- the one endorsed by the country and many of her own party, either to listen and change course
or go. Which is it to be?
BERCOW: Prime Minister.
MAY: Can I just say, the right Honorable Gentleman raises the question of the indicative votes tonight, I actually answered that question in this
House earlier this week, but he might want to talk to his shadow Brexit Secretary, who has made it clear that the Labour party won't commit to
supporting the result of any of the indicative votes tonight.
And then he talks about what is happening in this country, well, let us just look at what is going to happen in this country next week: nearly a 1
billion pounds extra for the police, 1.4 billion pounds more available for local councils, 1.1 billion pounds extra for our schools, another fuel duty
freeze, another rise in the national living wage and another tax cut. That is under the Conservatives. What would Labour give us? He wants to scrap
Trident. He wants to pull out of NATO. Labour would give us capital flight, a run on the pound and a drop in living standards. The biggest
threat to our standing in the world, to our defense and to our economy is sitting on the Labour Front Bench.
BERCOW: Maggie Throup.
MAGGIE THROUP, BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, CONSERVATIVE PARTY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would my right Honorable friends undertake to reform the
Government's online petition system, which currently accepts unverified signatures from across the world? This fundamental flaw can produce an
inaccurate reflection of public opinion on the important issues, such as revoking Article 50, and leaves our democracy potentially under threat of
manipulation from foreign state aggressors.
[08:15:03]
MAY: My Honorable Friend raised a very important issue and can I just say that like the traditional paper petition system, we need to have an e-
petition system that aims to strike a balance between allowing people to easily recognize their support -- register their support for issues that
are important to them while discouraging dishonesty from taking place.
I have been assured that the Government Digital Service has been constantly monitoring signing patterns to check for fraudulent activity, but I am sure
that my Honorable Friend will understand that I cannot comment in more detail about the security measures that are taken, but petitions are
subject to checks as part of due diligence.
BERCOW: Ian Blackford.
IAN BLACKFORD, BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, SCOTTISH NATIONALIST PARTY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker and I am sure you will want to join me and welcome
the members of the 6th Royal Scots Reserves who are joining us in the Gallery today to thank them for their service.
Mr. Speaker, it is becoming increasingly clear that the cost this Prime Minister will pay to force her disastrous deal through is the price of her
departure. Yet again, another Tory Prime Minister is willing to ride off into the sunset and saddle us with a crisis in the U.K. and an extreme
right-wing Brexiteer coming into Downing Street. Does the Prime Minister feel no sense of responsibility for what she is about to do?
BERCOW: Prime Minister.
MAY: Can I say to the right Honorable Gentleman, it is my sense of responsibility and duty that has meant I have kept working to ensure that
we deliver on the result of the British people.
BERCOW: Ian Blackford.
BLACKFORD: Mr. Speaker, let me help the Prime Minister. She can still change course; it is not too late. On Saturday I joined Opposition leaders
and a million people to demand a second E.U. referendum. Mr. Speaker, six million people have signed a petition online demanding that the Prime
Minister rethinks her strategy. And today, this House will give her a way out, a chance to prevent disaster. Will the Prime Minister finally respect
the will of Parliament, or will she continue to allow Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom to be held hostage by the extreme right wing of the
Tory party and the DUP?
BERCOW: Prime Minister.
MAY: I am interested that the right hon. Gentleman joined the march for a second referendum. Last week, his policy was revoking Article 50, and now
his policy is having a second referendum. But let us just look at what the Government are doing. What the Government is doing is delivering on the
vote that took place in the 2016 referendum. What the right Honorable Gentleman wants to do is to stay in the E.U. and what will that mean? Yes,
yes. All the Scottish Nationalists nod their heads and say they want to stay in the E.U. What will that mean? That would mean staying in the
common agricultural policy, not in the interests of Scottish farmers and that would mean staying in the common fisheries policy, not in the
interests of Scottish fishermen. It is Scottish Conservatives who are standing up for the interests of Scotland's farmers and fishermen.
BERCOW: Bill Wiggin.
BILL WIGGIN, BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, CONSERVATIVE PARTY: Under my right Honorable Friend's Government, one million more disabled people are
in work, but I am sure she would like to do so much more. For example, can she get disabled access for Ledbury station to save disabled passengers an
extra 20-minute journey to Hereford and back?
CHATTERLEY: Okay, we're going to leave a fiery Prime Minister's Questions there for a moment. As you heard there, the Prime Minister being barraged
with questions about what her Plan B is from Jeremy Corbyn? Why she won't consider a so-called Customs Union. All these things are very important.
We will dig into the details of why now.
I'm joined now by Robin Oakley, CNN contributor. Great to have you here. I think it's really important as we look ahead to the votes that are going
to be held tonight and the debate with 16 different potential options on the table, why Jeremy Corbyn chose there to ask the Prime Minister why
won't you just accept a Customs Union?
For me, this is really important when you look at the array of potential options here for Parliament.
ROBIN OAKLEY, POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR, CNN: Well, of course he keeps banging on about the Customs Union because that's been Labour's official policy all
along to go for a Customs Union. He wants to see plenty of support among the MPs voting in these indicative motions for one or other of the Customs
Unions options that we will see.
I mean, you mentioned 16 possible -- well the Speaker is going to whittle it down to about six or seven possible that they will actually be voting on
and voting on a ballot paper, not trooping for the division lobbies as usual.
CHATTERLEY: Yes.
OAKLEY: But one key question that hasn't been settled yet, we've just seen the usual sterile shouting at each other Prime Ministers Question time,
function duty politics bang, bang, bang sticking ...
[08:20:10]
OAKLEY: ... to the same old familiar positions. Now, is Theresa May going to give her people a free vote to give their indications on future
policies on Brexit? Is Jeremy Corbyn going to give his people a free vote or are they going to insist on them towing the party line? Because if
they do, it makes the whole thing rather less meaningful this afternoon in terms of those MPs giving real opinions.
This was supposed to be the chance to break the logjam. Well, if everyone is going to have to stick by the party instructions, they're not going to
break any logjams.
CHATTERLEY: But the question for me here is this, if we are trying to find some kind of consensus, we know Parliament behind us is majority to remain
in the E.U. So when Jeremy Corbyn is posing the question of what we come - - why can't we talk about a Customs Union here? It ties the U.K.'s hands in terms of a future trading relationship, but it would ease the hated
backstop question because it would mean for the E.U., they don't have to worry so much about protecting that border between Northern Ireland and
Ireland.
We know that this would send the Brexiteers crazy. It's the equivalent of biting lemons for them here. But if we could see consensus crystalize
around that option behind, then the government has got a real problem for me.
OAKLEY: Indeed, and that is one of the options this afternoon that has got the strongest possibility, some kind of Customs Union backing some kind of
Customs Union because there are some Conservatives who are willing to support that as well as the Labour MPs who are going to be whipped to do
so.
Now, if we get to the situation, the House of Commons does coalesce around a Customs Union option, presents that to the government and says, "Okay,
here you are," majority in the House of Commons. Europe has been asking, what do we stand for? What are we asking for? We're going for this.
Theresa May's reaction will be that was not in the Conservative manifesto. I can't go with that. She's getting advice from Geoffrey Cox, the Attorney
General who has caused her enough problems in the course of Brexit that the government is somewhat bound to listen to the House of Commons, to act on
what the House of Commons says.
Then you've got the direct confrontation already. You've got Stephen Barclay, the Brexit Secretary suggesting to the Cabinet in their
discussions if we're faced with that situation, something we can't accept in our manifesto then we're going to finish up perhaps with the general
election. But what happens with the general election? What manifesto that these two parties over?
CHATTERLEY: We'll talk about them tonight before we get there. But I think these sort of points out the leverage, the final moments of leverage
that perhaps Theresa May has when she gets in front of the Conservative Party, the 1922 committee tonight, the discussions that are going on right
now behind us that perhaps quietly upstage what's going on in the Prime Minister's Questions here to see whether she could perhaps bring her vote
one more time again, now or never, for Brexit in this form at least.
OAKLEY: In terms of future progress on Brexit, yes, what's going on behind the scenes is much more important than the slanging match we've just seen
in the House of Commons.
When Theresa May goes before those back benches tonight, that is her last big chance, I think. We've already seen some of the big beasts of the
Brexiteers -- Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chairman of the European Research Group; Boris Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary indicating that they would have
to hold their noses doing it, but they could come around to back Theresa May's deal.
But the condition for a lot more Brexiteers following them is going to be that Theresa May indicates it will not be her pushing through the next
stage of the negotiations with Europe. They want her to give a date as to when she will go.
But of course, so 1922 Committee tonight, is she going to say, "Okay, boys, back me on this and I will go. I'll give you that date." The trouble is,
it's the last weapon in her armory. It's the last card she has got to play. She's not going to want to play that card unless she can be certain
that that will push enough Tory rebels over the line.
CHATTERLEY: Okay, boys and girls, I'll just reiterate there, boys and girls, Kristie, we certainly do drama well here in the U.K. I just wish we
had some answers for you. Plenty of options here as you are seeing, it is going to be again, a dramatic evening, I think. Back to you.
LU STOUT: Yes, with Punch and Judy politics on full display just then, Julia, thank you. We'll talk again soon. Now, Israel is once again
ramping up its military presence at the border with Gaza after a new exchange of fire with Hamas militants. Israeli planes carried out new
attacks in response to rockets fired from Gaza overnight.
The rockets flew towards Israel but did not do any damage. The IDF says it targeted a Hamas military compound and a warehouse that was producing
weapons. This is the latest outbreak of violence. It's a major flare up on Monday.
Now, CNN's Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem. He joins us now and Oren, what is the latest you're hearing from the Gaza-Israel border?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Kristie, it has been quiet along the border most of the day. In fact since 4:00 in the morning or so, the
border has seen a low in fighting, but it doesn't seem like it will stay that way.
[08:25:10]
LIEBERMANN: We'll find that answer out possibly tonight. Let's go back to last night. After what had been a largely quiet Tuesday, a rocket from
Gaza came over at 8:00 in the evening. One came over at midnight and one more came over at 4:00 in the morning.
As we pointed out, Israel pointed to the first two of those rockets hitting Hamas compounds in Gaza including a weapons manufacturing warehouse. Then
came the rocket at 4:00 in the morning and Israel has not yet responded to that rocket.
We've watched these exchanges play out multiple times in recent months and years, and that's why I think there's a good chance that Israel will
respond to that last rocket later on this evening. But it's a very difficult decision for Israel at this point, and especially after a quiet
day. So we will see how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who also serves as the Defense Minister chooses to respond to this and chooses to see how
this plays out over the next few hours and certainly over the next few days here.
LU STOUT: Got it. So the tension there could very well rise further. Oren Liebermann reporting live from Jerusalem. Thank you.
Now, you are watching "News Stream" and still ahead, right here on the program, debate is set to begin in the British Parliament on a host of
Brexit alternatives as lawmakers wrest control away from the Prime Minister.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to the show. I'm Julia Chatterley outside the British Houses of Parliament in London. As we speak, British Prime
Minister Theresa May is taking questions from lawmakers as Parliament takes the reigns on the future of Brexit. In the coming hours, members will vote
on alternatives to Theresa May's twice rejected Brexit plan.
In the meantime, E.U. President, Donald Tusk says the Council should be open to a long extension and not ignore what he calls the increasing
majority of British people who want to remain in the European Union.
Labour MP Adrian Bailey says the U.K. must avoid a no deal Brexit at all costs and he joins us now. Adrian, fantastic to have you with us.
ADRIAN BAILEY, BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, LABOUR PARTY: Good to be with you.
CHATTERLEY: At all costs, including voting for the Prime Minister May's deal if necessary?
BAILEY: No, because I don't think that's really on the table as far as we're concerned.
CHATTERLEY: It might come back, though.
BAILEY: It might. There's a number of problems. First of all, political ones, I don't think she has the backing for it and if she has to promise to
fall on her sword in order to get it, I think that is a demonstration of her own weakness. And we will not convince the key voting bloc, the DUP to
actually support her.
At the end of the day, without their support, she stands no chance of getting it through. But there is a constitutional bloc, as well. And this
seems to have gone largely un-regarded.
[08:30:06]
BAILEY: The fact is, the Speaker has already blocked an attempt to bring that particular vote back again, that motion back again, and unless she can
find a new constitutional avenue that will persuade the Speaker to actually allow the vote, it could be blocked, anyway.
CHATTERLEY: Well, I mean, the argument there would be if she had the vote, she could get a motion in order to bring the deal back simply because she
has the votes or at least thought she did. But in terms of the Constitution, that is one thing. If she did agree to fall on her sword
here, as you mentioned and there is discussion that perhaps that will be a promise that she makes to the Conservative Party tonight, again, would that
not be enough for you, if only, as you've said it, to rule out the risk of a no deal exit here?
BAILEY: No. For two reasons, first of all, it has been outlined that the implication that has trade with Europe. And it wouldn't deliver what I
think are the essential elements of our future economic relationship with Europe and that is a Customs Union, regulatory convergence in market
access.
I have been to a meeting this morning with key industries who emphasize that is what is essential in the future in order for Britain's economy to
thrive opinion they could live with Theresa May in there, but it will not really deliver on what they want.
CHATTERLEY: I mean, why would that be better than remaining in the first place? Wouldn't it be better if that is your view to say look, actually,
the Labour Party is the remain party, actually having a Customs Union arrangement where we still have to abide by the E.U.'s rules on trade. We
can't make our own trade deals which is wholly a huge part of the reason for leaving. Why would you not just put your hands up and say, "Look,
actually, we're the remain party and if we went to fresh elections, we will be the remain party."
BAILEY: Two reasons. First of all, after the 2015 election, we saw the way that the electorate voted. They voted for a referendum and we felt
obliged to support the will of the people. Then, of course, you had the referendum and the referendum delivered on that and notwithstanding the
huge level of support for remain within the Labour Party, I think it is essential to respect that particular vote and what the challenge is to
deliver on that vote without doing damage to our industry, our economy, which in turn delivers the tax receipt which fund the public services that
people are also asking us to deliver on.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, so find the Customs Union option and go with it. The question is do we see that come through in the vote tonight, sir. Thank
you so much for joining us there. Adrian Bailey, Labour MP. All right, all through this Brexit chaos, we've been monitoring the pulse of the
British people. CNN's Nina dos Santos is in Kingston upon Thames, an area which voted to remain in the E.U., but first we will begin with Anna
Stewart in Boston Lincolnshire, a predominantly leave region.
Anna, great to have you with us. A predominantly leave region. Has any of the back and forth that we have seen over the past two plus years changed
minds there or are the people there are saying, "Look, we voted to leave. The majority of us voted to leave. Just get on with it."
ANNA STEWART, REPORTER, CNN: Yes, well, welcome to Boston. Lincolnshire, not Massachusetts, and three-quarters of the people here voted to leave
E.U. Have they changed their mind? Well, not in the way you might expect.
It is pretty hard to find someone that will actually remain, but I met someone earlier today but take a listen to just what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
STEWART: You voted to remain and you've now changed your mind.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
STEWART: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I think the E.U. persons are very arrogant. I think Juncker is arrogant and Macron they all -- I think if we don't come
out now, we shall be treated as a third world country.
STEWART: We have many options competing and these are just some of the ones that we might have. A free trade agreements either way?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think there's for and against those, but no.
STEWART: Customs Union.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
STEWART: No? Single market.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
STEWART: No deal Brexit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A last resort, yes.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
STEWART: So that doesn't bode particularly well for anyone, any remainers, certainly, if there is a second referendum. She's changed her mind. There
is a huge sense of frustration here as there is everywhere we've been. And we are canvassing opinion today on what options MPs are going to be
presented with later. Which options would people like them to vote for.
And so far, Julia, I'd say most people would rather have a no deal option now than anything that gives them a softer Brexit or no Brexit at all.
CHATTERLEY: Wow. They'd rather go with a no deal option.
STEWART: Yes, bring it on, they say.
CHATTERLEY: Is that what they are saying?
STEWART: They voted once, they can't understand why people are still talking about it now. What is happening to democracy? Julia.
[08:35:06]
CHATTERLEY: Yes, fascinating. Anna Stewart, great job. But Nina, let me bring you in here. This one for me, actually, is perhaps a little bit more
pivotal at this moment. I speak to people who voted remain, but they're saying they are actually so furious with the situation, with the way that
the E.U. has treated the U.K., that perhaps they feel that they would switch their votes and be ready to leave.
Are you talking to people who say that or are they sticking with how they originally voted and saying, "Look, we still want to remain and we stand by
that."
NINA DOS SANTOS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: I've just been speak to go an elderly couple who immigrated to the U.K. from South Africa a number of generations
ago. They got the chance to vote in the 1970s referendum on the E.U. when they were firmly pro-E.U. and they were remain voters in this recent
referendum about three years ago.
And now, they say that they've just become so disenchanted with the whole process, they're disaffected, disillusioned with both Brussels and
Westminster that now they'd even pivot towards a no deal just for the whole thing to be over and done with.
Kingston, though, however on the whole is firmly remain territory. We're talking about a prosperous commuter town just to the southwest of London.
It voted 61% to remain inside the E.U. on a massive turnout of 78%. And it's a Liberal Democrat member of Parliament and somebody who voted for the
Letwin amendment that helped Parliament seize more control of the whole procedure just earlier on this week.
So this is an area where you do hear both sides of the point of view. On the whole, people seem to feel that there's far more to lose while exiting
in a disorderly fashion. Many of them would like to stay, but there is an age demographic as well that plays into this. Because I've spoken to four
elderly people and two young people. Among the two younger people, they said that they had signed on to the petition to revoke Article 50.
They are quite angered by the government's response towards it today by dismissing the petition and saying that the government has flatly rejected
the idea of revoking Article 50. They would also like a referendum. One of them was on the march that took place over the weekend.
But then there were four elderly people who said, "Oh, no, we just want a no-deal at this point." So opinions are also crystallizing here in remain
territory on the outskirts of London, as well, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, so many differences of opinion, actually, perfectly illustrated there. Nina dos Santos, Anna Stewart, thank you both once
again for that taste test of what the British public are thinking right now.
Kristie, as you heard it, it's really complicated, what did Jean-Claude Juncker say earlier? A sphynx is an open book by comparison compared to
exit. Yes, have to agree. Back to you.
LU STOUT: And yes, judging from the strong emotions that we heard across the U.K., it's an open wound as well. Wow. Strong opinions out there.
Julia, thank you. You are watching "News Stream." Still to come right here on the program. We are going to be meeting one of the world's fastest
flyers in Singapore. Keep it here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now, the idea of skydiving can be pretty scary, but what if you didn't have to jump out of a plane. Now, we're going to
meet an aerial acrobat who is transforming her sport as one of the world's fastest flyers in our next installment of "Iconic Singapore."
[08:40:10]
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meet Kyra Poh, one of Singapore's high flying athletes. Kyra is an aerial acrobat in the entirely new sport of indoor skydiving.
KYRA POH, INDOOR SKYDIVER, SINGAPORE: We have many different categories and I do mainly freestyle and dynamics. Freestyle is about being flexible
and graceful, but then for dynamic, it is about going as fast as possible.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kyra always wanted to be an astronaut and now finds herself transforming her sport as one of the world's fastest flyers.
POH: Like girl power for me is really important in this all because like this sport, it used to be mainly dominated by men. So when we first
compete, people look at us and like saying, we're young women and while like small kids going into like an adults category.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sasha Christian is another one of Singapore's iconic athletes. A championship wakeboarder, she was eager to try out the sport
with less water and more air.
POH: Hopefully you'll learn some stuff and you have fun and then maybe we can fly together.
SASHA CHRISTIAN, WAKEBOARDER, SINGAPORE: I think that's the goal.
POH: Yes. It feels exactly the same as actual skydiving out of the plane, so.
CHRISTIAN: Okay. And that is terrifying though.
POH: She really is a natural, like, usually the first time people go into the tunnel, they're always really shaky or really nervous. But she was
really cool and she kept calm.
CHRISTIAN: Water is my element. I haven't really played around like the wind. I've never done anything like this before. It was such a cool,
like, sensation. I'm all good now.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LU STOUT: Okay. I'm going to have to try that one day. Now, be sure to tune into "Iconic Singapore" this weekend to meet the athletes, the artists
and entertainers chasing their passions and shaping a new Singapore. Saturday, 11:30 p.m. in Hong Kong, 3:30 p.m. in London.
Now, a pair of -- I've got to be careful with my hand gestures here -- bare breasted mermaids statues in one of Indonesia's theme parks is getting a
modest makeover. Now, the park says it needs to put on some clothes on them to respect Eastern values. The mermaids were initially wrapped up in
gold fabric, but visitors kept pulling it down. So they have been moved to a more secluded area. Indonesia is a relatively conservative country with
the largest Muslim population in the world.
Now, and we end the show tonight with this. It's happening right here in Hong Kong's iconic harbor where a signature character from an American
artist, Brian Donnelly or Kaws is bobbing up or down.
Now, the waterway, it's normally a busy channel of containerships, ferries and smaller boats, but the artist Kaws say his floating installation, it's
called "companion" symbolizes relaxing. Just taking time for yourself laying down and looking up. It is part of Art Basel Hong Kong that just
kicked off this week.
And that is "News Stream." I'm Kristi Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere. "World Sport" with Amanda Davis is next.
(SPORTS)
[09:00:00]
END
