March 28, 2019
Harriett Baldwin MP for West Worcestershire Comments on Indicative Alternative Brexit Votes
WEST WORCESTERSHIRE MP Harriett Baldwin has repeated her support for the Withdrawal Agreement after a series of votes on alternative approaches in the House of Commons last night.
No alternative plan secured a majority, with MPs being asked to vote on ideas ranging from staying in the customs union to revoking Article 50 and holding a second referendum.
Harriett voted against five of the proposals and abstained on three others, repeating her belief that Parliament should respect the result of the 2016 referendum and leave in an orderly manner, offering certainty to local people and businesses.
Harriett said: “This whole exercise of Parliament taking control of the order paper was a ridiculous bit of ‘virtue signalling’ which I opposed.
“MPs need to face facts: the legal default is that we are leaving without a deal unless we can unite around a deal or revoke Article 50 - something that would be an insult to the 17.4 million people who voted Leave. Over 400 colleagues voted in 2017 to trigger the Article 50 process.
“Rather than voting in non-binding indicative votes against No Deal, colleagues from all sides should join me and back the negotiated Withdrawal Agreement which Theresa May has worked flat out to deliver.
“I have been clear throughout this process that people across West Worcestershire tell me that what they want is certainty, in particular the farmers and many businesses who trade with Europe and want to plan ahead.
“A number of constituents have contacted me in recent days asking for me to comment on the proposal for a second referendum.
“I don’t support a further referendum. I feel that this would be hugely divisive for the country and no one seems to be sure what question would be asked.
“I think this would undermine the principle of democracy, particularly as 80 per cent of current MPs stood at the last election pledging to respect the referendum and the Liberal Democrats, who offered a confirmatory referendum, only secured 7.4 per cent of the vote.
“My constituents, and the country, simply wants us to get on with this and I firmly hope that Parliamentarians can now come together to secure a majority for the Withdrawal Agreement as soon as possible.”
