Dear Jackie
Thank you for your email.
The best way to stop No Deal would be to vote for a Deal. I did that three times but unfortunately your Party and the Lib Dems let Wimbledon down by failing to do so. I have consistently stood up for the rights of local EU citizens and for the livelihoods and jobs of local people.
You wrongly assert that Corbyn’s offer is the only democratic option left. The option of securing an extension, and ultimately a Deal via legislative means remains, and is a tried and tested route following the ‘Cooper-Letwin’ Bill in April.
A Vote of No Confidence is an untested route with no guarantee of success or of stopping No Deal. It is a complete shameless and opportunist move by Jeremy Corbyn.
The idea that Corbyn could lead a government of national unity when he cannot even unify his own party is ludicrous. I regard a Corbyn government of whatever length as a national disaster, just as I regard No Deal as a disaster. A look at Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to stop widespread antisemitism in your party and the justified criticism of his lack of action from many Labour MPs, Peers and members demonstrates why he is completely unsuited to the office of Prime Minister.
This manoeuvre would expose the country to a divisive but not decisive General Election.
Ultimately, there are only three ways to avoid ‘No Deal’. Approve a deal, revoke Article 50, or extend Article 50. My position is clear, I am one of only eight MPs to have voted for these options.
If you and the Momentum Labour Party had Wimbledon’s or our country’s interest at heart you would commit to supporting a Deal or supporting legislative means to stop No Deal rather playing party politics with the most important issue confronting us.
In order that my view is completely transparent I am publishing this correspondence.
Yours,
Stephen Hammond MP