Hammersmith Andy Slaughter to Vote Against Triggering Article 50 | |||||
Says first loyalty is to constituents, 70% of whom voted to Remain
Hammersmith MP Andy Slaughter is set to oppose triggering Article 50 when the issue is voted on in Parliament. Some confusion remains over his position on the vote, as he has not yet issued a public statement. However, a number of local people say they have received a letter from him confirming his intentions in response to their enquiries. This means the MP, who also serves on Labour's front bench as a Shadow Justice Minister, will be defying the three line whip issued by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. In the letter, reproduced on Twitter, to constituents asking how he intended to vote, he said: " I am a passionate pro-European, who worked hard for the Remain campaign last summer, and who still believes our prosperity, security, culture and values will be strengthened by close relations with the rest of Europe, including through membership of the EU. "The Referendum result was close - we should not ignore the 48% who vote to Remain any more than the 52% who voted to Leave. Just as Governments - and MPs- represent everyone, not just those who voted them in, so we should not be trying to find a way forward that (almost) everyone can live with. "Yes, the Referendum was a deeply flawed process with a narrow victory for one side, whose promises - most infamously the £350 million a week for the NHS - were abandoned as soon as the result came in. But no election is perfect, and issues of misrepresentation, turnout and size of mandate are often prayed in aid by the losing side. "The Supreme Court was right to give the decision on starting the exit process to Parliament rather than let Theresa May - herself unelected as PM -use medieval prerogative powers to make herself the sole arbiter. But Parliament must have primary regard to the result of the Referendum, the purpose of which was to express the view of the British people on our membership of the EU. "I raised this issue with Theresa May at PMQs last week and her answer made it clear that she was not interested in consulting either Parliament or the British people on the fnal Brexit deal. "We are being asked to accept whatever deal Theresa May negotiates, with no alternative - except no deal at all. We cannot say, sorry that is a terrible deal, go back and try again. Or as a final step, if she is really incapable of safeguarding our future, putting the decision on whether to go through with Brexit back to the electorate. "Forces on the right of politics, in the Conservative Party as well as UKIP and the far right, have long dreamed of rolling back the Welfare State, employment rights and even the NHS. They also have a barely disguised distaste for the inclusive, tolerant and diverse society that places like Hammersmith and Shepherd's Bush, indeed most of London, represent.
January 31, 2017
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