Last
week in Parliament saw a historic moment in the House of Commons, when MPs
voted for the first time ever, in the light of the referendum result, on the
implementation of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This is the formal process
by which the UK will officially begin its withdrawal from the European Union.
The
Government’s amendment to the original motion by the Labour Party called for
Article 50 to be invoked no later than 31 March 2017.
This
was the very first time MPs have had the opportunity to demonstrate their
position with regards to the democratic decision made by the people of the UK.
After much speculation and debate, MPs voted by a majority of 372 to support the
triggering of Article 50 by the end of March to take the country out of the EU.
I was pleased to see support for this motion from across the two main political
parties and that subsequently a clear demonstration of Parliamentary support
for the democratic decision of the British people from the Referendum on 23
June will be respected.
On
a related note it was a shame to see the Liberal Democrats failing to live up
to their name and their leader calling for their MPs to vote against this
democratic decision. More than half of their MPs voted against it, and the
other four, despite being present chose to abstain from voting on this hugely
important issue.
As
I have previously said, our democratic system is a wonderful thing, something
which previous and current generations have fought to preserve. Many people I
know who voted Remain in June’s Referendum have accepted the decision and now
want to work together to make the best deal possible for our country going
forward. It is a pity that some remain insistent on thwarting the outcome,
something that I believe is fundamentally against the very basic principles of
democracy that we stand on.
We
now need to look forward and I will be doing everything I can to ensure the
best possible outcome for this country, and Cornwall in particular, over the
coming months.
As
part of this I was delighted to recently be appointed to the European Scrutiny
Committee in Parliament. This gives me the opportunity to look closely at the
legislation and directives being passed down by the EU as well as participate
in debates on EU related matters.
While we are
negotiating our exit from the EU this committee will continue to play a crucial
role. Not only in keeping an eye on the EU legislation that continues to come
through but also in ensuring as smooth and positive an exit as possible.
I am honoured
to have been appointed to this important committee and look forward to
continuing to play an active part in Brexit, while speaking up for the
interests of Cornwall.
As
always, my team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and work hard to
make a real difference to the lives of everyone needing support. If there is an
issue you would like my assistance on then please contact me on either 01726
829379 or office@stevedouble.org.uk. Additionally, I hold regular, appointment
only, advice surgeries across the constituency. Dates of these can be found at:
www.stevedouble.org.uk/events
