Kent messenger weekly column - We must get Brexit done!
Whilst the turmoil in Parliament and the courts in recent weeks has been destabilising; my fundamental priority is unchanged. I remain committed to doing everything I can to ensure that we deliver on the result of the 2016 referendum by leaving the European Union.
I would rather we left with a deal and believe that the new proposals put forward by the Prime Minister last week represent a fair compromise. I hope the EU will engage seriously with them because, even at this late stage, there is a deal which can be achieved. A deal which allows the UK to leave the EU smoothly whilst not preventing us from taking back control of our trade, laws, borders and money.
If no acceptable deal is forthcoming however, then we must be prepared to leave without a deal. Alongside my Kent MP colleagues, I have been liaising with the Government, KCC, Kent Police, local businesses and others to ensure ‘business as usual’ is maintained in Kent, even in a No Deal scenario. Preparations to mitigate any potential short term disruption are at an advanced stage. For example, this week, crucial new legislation was passed in Parliament which will provide traffic officers with extra powers to compel lorry drivers to use specified routes to reach the Port. This should mean that, unlike in 2015, local traffic continues to flow freely and we in Kent can go about our business unimpeded.
We must get Brexit done. Further pointless delays will only worsen the current uncertainty and any attempt to block Brexit will do untold damage to trust in our democracy. I am therefore resolutely focussed on supporting our Prime Minister to get Brexit over the line, so we can return to prioritising the things which matter most to us here in Maidstone and The Weald, and which inspired me to get into politics, like improving our schools and preserving our first-class NHS.
