Campaign reply - Brexit vote

A number of constituents have written to me with a campaign email which asks me to vote against the PM's deal, unless the bill can be amended to include a public vote.

 The best way to see democracy work is to honour the result of the referendum where the majority voted to leave.

The rewards of creating a sound economy are now emerging. What is long forgotten is the crisis the country faced when the coalition government came to office 2010. Borrowing was out of control, the economy and employment in dire straits. It has taken years to put things right. In a crisis drastic action is required which includes stopping spending money we don’t have, attract as much growth and investment as possible and make the UK an attractive place to work and invest. The result? Near full employment, a new higher minimum wage, rising wages, more of the low paid than ever removed from paying any income tax at all, a healthy economy, record investment, the highest ever recorded tax receipts to the treasury and a transformation in our prospects. Now we can invest huge extra funding into the NHS – the highest ever cash injection – and so on but it only comes from taking tough decisions. I am bewildered why there is distain for the fire brigade and not the arsonists.

If MPs will not respect the result of the 2016 referendum why would anyone trust them to respect the outcome of a second one? The Liberal Democrats  have already made clear if the result of another referendum is again to leave they will still campaign to remain!

There is no mandate for another referendum. The 2016 referendum came about because David Cameron put it in the Conservative manifesto in 2015. We won a majority and implemented our manifesto commitment. In 2017 both the main parties pledged to respect the referendum result. The Liberal Democrats campaigned for a 2nd referendum and won a total of 12 seats. If Labour or any other party now want another referendum they should put it in their manifesto, have a general election and let the country decide.

The interpretation of the PMs intentions for the UK post Brexit is not one I share and his future vision for the UK is the reverse of what is set out. He has my full support.

 However people voted in the referendum or at the last election I genuinely seek to reach out to all constituents and assist them in any way I can but that does not include undoing what the majority voted for and still want.