This was a referendum that many of our citizens had called for and I believe the question needed to be democratically decided by the citizens of our country. There is a very good argument that the most serious of constitutional decisions cannot be made by politicians alone, but must have the support of the people. That is why 544 MPs, on a cross-party basis, voted for the Referendum Bill
I made it clear to my constituents that I had hoped we would vote to Remain and urged people to do so. Indeed I share the frustrations and disappointment of many in Wimbledon that so many across the country decided to vote to Leave. However, the majority of those who voted in the United Kingdom want to leave the EU, and this must be respected whether or not we agree with it. If the result were to be ignored the anger of leave voters would not only be understandable, but fully justified. Voters are already disillusioned by politics, and I will not take any action to make this worse.
MPs of all parties and political backgrounds have accepted the result of the referendum; the principled decision to respect the will of the British people as expressed in a referendum. That is why I will vote for the Article 50 Bill, but I will carefully consider any amendments.
The battle to stay in the European Union has been lost, and most MPs will vote to respect the outcome of the referendum. Therefore it is clear that fight now is to secure the best deal possible and to ensure MPs are given the fullest opportunity to scrutinise the Government.
I am fully aware that a majority of my constituents voted to remain the European Union, as I did. However, this does not mean that a majority of my constituents wish to ignore and disregard the referendum result. Why would we have bothered to turn up to vote Remain, if we thought that the result could and would be ignored?
I will continue to represent my all constituents by listening to their comments, and pressing the Government to get the best deal for London. This is why in particular I have been vocal about the need for a good deal for the financial services sector, which is key to London’s success and in the House of Commons this week I called upon the Secretary of State for Brexit to publish a white paper on the Government’s plans for Brexit, so Parliament and the public can scrutinise it in more detail as negotiations progress. I will also carefully consider the amendments to the Article 50 Bill.
This is a significant time for the future of our country and so, as always, I am very happy to hear and respond to constituents’ views on this matter. Please feel free to respond to email me on [email protected]