Tony Blair's last Prime Minister's Question Time
27 Jun 2007 : Hansard Column 330
Q7. [145778] Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield) (Con): I wish the Prime Minister and his family well for the future, but is he aware that a majority of the people of the United Kingdom feel betrayed by the fact that they are being drawn down further into the suffocating quicksand and expensive bureaucracy of the European Union?[Fade out]
[Fade in]
Hon. Members: More!
The Prime Minister: First, I like the hon. Gentleman, and what I am about to say is no disrespect to him at all, but after the guttural roar from his own Benches that greeted his statement, I really believe that if I were the leader of the Conservative party I would be worried about that. I am afraid that we cannot agree on the treaty, but as for his good wishes to me, may I say to him au revoir, auf Wiedersehen and arrivederci?
Rev. Ian Paisley (North Antrim) (DUP): May I say to the Prime Minister that I fully understand the exasperation that he felt many a day when I visited him? I understand that he was downcast many a day, that he was disappointed, angry and that perhaps he even lost his temper, but I want to say that he treated me with the greatest courtesy. I disagreed with him about many things, but we faced them. I am glad that I can stand here today and say to the Prime Minister that the people of Northern Ireland felt the same way as him-they were angry and cross, lost their tempers and were sad-but we made progress. [Fade out]
[Fade in]
The Prime Minister begins another colossal task. I hope that what happened in Northern Ireland will be repeated and that, at the end of the day, he can look back and say that it was well worth while.
The Prime Minister: I thank the right hon. Gentleman very much indeed for those immensely kind words. I was waiting for the "but" and it never came, and I am most grateful to him. Let me say-although it will do neither of us good in many quarters-that I found him to be not merely a very good person to work with but someone who was completely straight with me throughout my dealings with him. I wish him the best of luck in the future, because he has shown immense courage in what he has done.
Mr. Speaker, if I may just finish with two brief remarks-first to the House. I have never pretended to be a great House of Commons man, but I pay the House the greatest compliment I can by saying that, from first to last, I never stopped fearing it. The tingling apprehension that I felt at three minutes to 12 today I felt as much 10 years ago, and every bit as acute. It is in that fear that the respect is contained.