Nigel Evans strongly opposes Yvette Cooper’s amendment to the Withdrawal Bill, due to be voted on next Tuesday, 29th January.
The Cooper amendment would allow parliamentary time for a bill which would give MPs a vote on delaying Article 50. That bill would give the Government until 26th February to seek parliamentary approval for a Withdrawal Agreement and allow parliament to vote on an extension of Article 50 if it fails.
Commenting, Nigel said:
“All 14 of Lancashire's constituencies voted leave, including the Ribble Valley. My support for leaving the EU has been unwavering since that time, and I stand resolutely against extending Article 50 without a practical reason to do so”.
“It is the duty of every Member of Parliament to ensure we leave the European Union, any MP in a leave constituency who supports this amendment will not only prolong the misery and arguing, but also will do nothing more than tell their constituents that their opinion is not valuable”.
“The real intention of those who support the Cooper amendment is to remain in the EU – this is very clear. The Labour constituencies of Lancashire all have remain-supporting MPs who are ignoring the wishes of those who elect them.”
The Prime Minister is set to return to the Commons early next week to set out the next steps in the process.