This week it’s back to school and work for many after a summer break. A time for reflection and a time for new challenges, a changing of the seasons. There are definitely challenges in the political world at the moment. I have written before about my approach to Brexit which is that we should honour the result of the Referendum but we should leave in an orderly way, with a deal. I have spent too long working in many different business sectors to think that a “no deal”/WTO Brexit will have no or limited impact. It will have an impact, perhaps not as drastic as some reports, but meaningful and in my view unnecessary. I have voted three times to leave with a deal. Some claim that the agreement negotiated over the last three years with the EU is not really Brexit. Of course, people have their own image of what a “real” Brexit is but the Withdrawal Agreement is only the first stage of the process. It’s almost, dare I say it, the easy bit, but in a hung Parliament it’s proved anything but easy.
Just before recess I voted to ensure that Parliament could not be suspended in a bid to leave the EU, without a deal, at the end of October, without further scrutiny. Over summer the new Prime Minister decided to prorogue Parliament and bring forward a new programme for Government via a Queen's Speech. Importantly this ensured Parliament would be sitting from 14th October so the result of any Brexit renegotiation could be brought to Parliament. This did reduce the parliamentary time available but in my view, still left enough time to vote through a deal to leave the EU or a plan to leave without a deal. Some of my colleagues disagreed and concerned about this unusual manoeuvre, determined to pass new legislation to extend our departure from the EU until January 2020. Despite strong views amongst many in Chichester I did not support this approach as I believe the new PM deserved time to find a deal that would be acceptable to Parliament. However, I’m still very concerned about leaving without a deal particularly when 90% of Conservative MPs, including leading Brexiteers such as the Prime Minister and Jacob Rees-Mogg, voted to leave with the previously negotiated Withdrawal Agreement. Yes this contains risk but there is no risk free way to leave the European Union, and it is more responsible than leaving on very basic WTO trading terms and creating a border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland; with all the risk that entails.
As I write this column some very highly respected colleagues have had the Conservative Whip removed. This is deeply concerning and I hope that this is rectified soon. It looks very likely there will be an election in the near future so everybody will, once again, get an opportunity to decide who you would like to represent you in Parliament. Our constitution and democracy has been challenged by Brexit but ultimately you, the voters, will always have the power to determine our destiny.
