Tameside and Oldham MP accuses PM of ‘not listening’

Angela Raynor

Angela’s constituency returned a 62% Leave result in the 2016 referendum and with just two weeks to go until the UK is set to depart the European Union, the exit route is still unclear.

A series of votes have been held this week which saw MPs vote to block a No Deal exit and to delay the planned exit day of 29th March.

Speaking on Robert Peston’s ITV Brexit special, Angela said: “What we’ve always said is we want to find a deal. We said we respected the result of the referendum, we want to genuinely find a solution.

“We said that to avoid a catastrophic no-deal, or Theresa May’s disastrous deal, that if putting the vote back to the people is the only way forward then that’s what we would do.

“But I think that would be disastrous for us, as members of Parliament, to go back to the people with it because we would have failed in trying to find a consensus.

“The decision made at Conference last September was very clear that if we were to avoid a no-deal as disastrous Brexit scenario under the Conservatives then we would go back to the people.

“I think personally as politicians if we have to go back to the people we’ve failed. I want to reach out, and Jeremy Corbyn has said that the Labour Party wants to find a deal that puts jobs and the economy first.

“We have to do that. Democracy itself is an issue here, many members of Parliament have said that. I think the will is there to do that, but Theresa May is not listening.”

The Prime Minister has said that Brexit could be delayed by three months, to 30th June, if MPs back her deal when she brings it before Parliament for the third time. If they reject her deal again she says she will seek a longer extension - but any delay has to be agreed by the 27 other EU member states.

A spokesman for the European Commission said extending Article 50, the mechanism taking the UK out of the EU on 29 March, would need the "unanimous agreement" of all EU member states.

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