Last week we certainly had an eventful week in Parliament.
On Tuesday the government lost the vote on the EU Withdrawal Agreement. As I have previously set out I do not believe this ‘deal’ delivers on our commitments in the 2017 election to deliver a full and clear Brexit and therefore I voted against the deal.
This was followed by Jeremy Corbyn calling a vote of no confidence in the government on Wednesday in which I supported the government. The government won this vote with the support of the DUP. Something we could not have been sure of if the deal had been voted through.
Meanwhile, as always it was great to get back to Cornwall on Friday. I had the opportunity to visit a number of places involved in supporting our young people.
I was delighted to visit Penrice Academy to speak to pupils and teachers about the need to live more sustainably by reducing the amount of plastic we use and throw away.
I also spoke at the launch of the new Cornwall Careers Hub, which brings businesses and education together to help prepare our young people for the world of work. I also visited the refurbished House Youth Project with Young People Cornwall which provides a large number of support services for our young people.
All of these facilities are providing important and valuable services to help our young people get the best start in life and great credit must go to all the dedicated staff who run these services.
On Monday the Prime Minister returned to Parliament to update MPs on her Brexit negotiations. Clearly having lost the vote last week I was keen to hear what the Prime Minister had to say.
I was pleased that in her statement the Prime Minister made clear that she could not rule out a No-Deal option for Brexit.Ruling out No-Deal essentially ties our hands when it comes to negotiating for Brexit and is not something I could support.
The Prime Minister has also said she is continuing to negotiate on changes to the Irish backstop. The removal of the backstop, or the inclusion of a clause allowing the UK to unilaterally leave, as part of a legally binding clause of the treaty is something that would bring me closer to being able to support the deal.
Finally, I was pleased to see the Prime Minister once again rule out a second referendum and delaying our departure or revoking Article 50. One thing that is clear is that the Members of Parliament who sadly seem set on sabotaging our historic democratic system by finding technical means within the Parliamentary legislation to delay or frustrate Brexit are undermining the trust of the British people in our democracy.
Delaying our leaving the EU by postponing Article 50 or holding a second referendum does not deliver the Brexit that Mid-Cornwall voted for in 2016 and to me is completely unacceptable. I will continue to do all I can to ensure we leave the EU on time and in a positive and clean manner.
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. The office is open to the public Monday – Friday 10.00am – 4.00pm (no appointment necessary). If there is an issue you would like my assistance on then please, either visit the office or 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
