Kerry McCarthy Labour MP for Bristol East
We are now just 8 days away from when the UK is due to leave the EU. Last night, Theresa May took the opportunity to address the nation. Rather than seeking to build consensus across the Commons and talk about a sensible extension to Article 50 – which clearly has to be done if we are to avoid crashing out next week – she attacked MPs for not backing her rotten deal. This is a Prime Minister who takes no responsibility for her mistakes. She was, quite rightly, condemned by many in her own party for the belligerent tone of her remarks.
I will not vote for a deal that makes people in east Bristol worse off. I will not be blackmailed by the threat of No Deal into backing her deal. And so, if the Prime Minister brings her Brexit deal back for a third time next week, I will vote against it again.
I welcome any extension to Article 50, but realistically I believe that a long extension is necessary. That would give us time to either hold a People’s Vote UK (my preferred outcome) or, failing that, try to renegotiate the Brexit deal. Of course, Parliament could simply revoke Article 50, but I do not believe that there is the will in Parliament to do this.
