I voted against the Withdrawal Agreement after
carefully considering the 585 page Brexit deal proposed by the Prime Minister.
But not because I want a second referendum.
I backed a people’s vote in 2016. The Brexit
referendum was the largest exercise in British democracy by turnout percentage
in more than a quarter of a century. Our constituency voted by almost 2-1 in
favour of leave, the biggest margin in Cornwall.
It is vital for our democracy we respect the decision
the British people made in 2016’s referendum and deliver what the people voted
for.
Additionally, during the election campaign in 2017
I stood on a very clear message that I would respect the result of the
referendum and work to deliver Brexit. I received a clear mandate in that
election receiving and biggest vote and biggest majority ever seen in the
constituency.
the 2016 vote, which was a people’s vote, it would
also undermine the negotiating position. It would also cause further delay and
uncertainty.
The vast majority of people tell me they simply
want us to get on with things and leave. Businesses in particular want to know,
as soon as possible what the future will hold.
It is doubtful there would even be time for another
referendum within the time available but even if it could be shoehorned into
the schedule, the delay and uncertainty would be the last thing we need.
Of course there is also the question that if we
held another referendum, if there were people unhappy with the result of that
one, would they then want another one, and so on until they got a result they
were happy with? That isn’t how democracy works.
I am a democrat and I believe that in order to
safeguard our democracy we need to implement the will of the nation, as
expressed in the results of the referendum, by leaving the European Union.
Furthermore, I do share the views of a number of
constituents that no deal Brexit would spell the end of the UK economy.
My preferred option is that we leave with a
satisfactory deal, but I do not for a second believe in the claims made by
scaremongers should we opt for a managed no deal Brexit.
I have expressed, time and again, that no deal is
better than a bad deal, and we stand in a strong position to weather the
challenges of no deal as one of the world’s largest and most competitive
economies.
Our future is bright outside of the European Union
and I will continue to work hard to ensure that we have a deal that fully
delivers the results of the 2016 referendum and for every one of my
constituents.
