Rupert Matthews (ECR). – Mr President, thank you for giving me the opportunity to make my first speech here in the main plenary of the European Parliament. I am pleased to see that positive relations with India are continuing to grow. The European Union has much to gain for India is a great country, and I wish the European Union well with those links.

But of course Britain has got its own important links with India. We have both been members of the Commonwealth for decades, and we have cultural, family, and trading links that go back centuries. I am confident that once Britain is again an independent country we will re-establish and grow our historic links with India and to other countries within the Commonwealth, and that is just one reason why I am confident that Brexit is going to be a great success.