Local MPs "not willing to put local jobs at risk” over bad Brexit deal

Local MPs have said they are “not willing” to put local residents’ jobs at risk over a bad Brexit deal.

Tony Lloyd, MP for Rochdale, has said he would support a second referendum over a bad deal, supporting Monday’s (25 February) announcement that Labour will back a second referendum on Brexit – almost three years after the country’s initial vote in favour of leaving the European Union (EU), whereas Liz McInnes, MP for Heywood and Middleton, says the Prime Minister needs to work with Labour in order for the UK to leave with a deal.

Mr Lloyd said: “The Prime Minister's approach has resulted in a deeply flawed Brexit deal that will not protect jobs in Rochdale, workplace rights or environmental standards, and will not ensure frictionless trade for British businesses.

“Parliament decisively rejected it and the Prime Minister is now recklessly running down the clock in an attempt to force MPs to choose between her bad deal or a catastrophic No Deal. There is no majority in Parliament for No Deal and I will continue to oppose a damaging Brexit based on the Prime Minister's overwhelmingly rejected deal.

“Labour both this week and over the coming weeks will put forward our alternative Brexit plan which we think will be a better basis for our ongoing relationships with the EU and avoids a hard border across the island of Ireland. I am calling on the government to make this the basis of its own negotiations.

“I have consistently said that all credible options must remain on the table to break the Brexit deadlock and that includes the option of campaigning for a public vote to prevent an unacceptable Brexit.

“If Labour’s plan fails to win majority support in the House of Commons, I will support an amendment in favour of a public vote to prevent a damaging form of Brexit being forced on our country.

“I appreciate that a majority voted to leave the European Union in 2016 but I cannot in good faith support a deal which would see people lose their jobs, their rights and ultimately affect the British economy and security.

“Rather than have Theresa May dictate a disastrous deal to us, I would much rather let the people of our country have the final say.”

Ms McInnes said: “Theresa May and her government have failed at every opportunity to produce a deal which will work for people and businesses here in Heywood and Middleton and our country as a whole, and she has failed to engage constructively to build consensus with opposition parties in Parliament to help achieve a workable deal.

“Sadly, Mrs May has been more interested in the small group of hard-line Eurosceptics in her own party who are willing to accept Brexit at any cost – but I’m not willing to put residents’ jobs, rights at work, or our economy at stake.

“Parliament has decisively rejected the deal she eventually brought to a vote, and now the government are clearly trying to run down the clock in an attempt to force MPs to choose between her bad deal or No Deal. Parliament has made it clear that it does not accept No Deal as an option – the threat to jobs, services, businesses and travel, not to mention peace in Northern Ireland, is simply too huge.

“If Theresa May was serious about building consensus and getting a deal through Parliament, she would engage seriously with Labour.

“We need a deal that protects jobs, rights at work, the economy and trade, and which delivers on the 2016 referendum vote. I will continue to work hard to achieve this.”

 

 

However, MEP Paul Nuttall, who sits in the European Parliament for North West England, described Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s move calling for a second referendum as ‘a betrayal’.

Mr Nuttall said: “We have had four votes on this – the European elections in 2014, which UKIP won, the General Election in 2015, which initiated the EU referendum of 2016 and a General Election in 2017, in which both Labour and Conservative parties had manifestos that promised to uphold the result of the referendum. 

“Jeremy Corbyn has always been in favour of leaving the EU and is now only cynically backing a second referendum to try to save his splintered party and it has nothing to do with what is right for the country.

“This is a complete betrayal of the British public, including the millions of Labour supporters who voted ‘Leave’, and would be a travesty of democracy.”

The initial referendum on 23 June 2016 asking if the UK should leave the EU or remain saw more than 33.5 million votes cast across the UK with 51.89% of voters opting to leave. Locally, 60% of Rochdale voters opted to leave.

Brexit has since been delayed whilst Mrs May works towards a deal for the UK ahead of a scheduled leave date of 29 March 2019.

The prime minister will now put her withdrawal agreement to a meaningful vote by 12 March.

If that fails, MPs will be offered two separate votes: to vote on no deal, or delay Brexit and extend article 50.

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UPDATE

This article was amended on 28 February 2019 to remove the headline and introduction which incorrectly stated that both MPs were backing Labour’s calls for a second referendum. Tony Lloyd MP was the only local MP backing this announcement: as this was inaccurate, we apologise to Liz McInnes MP.