MP will vote against Prime Minister’s “worst of all possible worlds” Brexit deal

Wrexham’s MP Ian Lucas has said he will vote against Theresa May’s draft Brexit plan as it is ‘not in the best interests of his constituents or the country as a whole’.

Last week the 585 page withdrawal agreement which sets out the terms of the UK’s departure from the EU was heavily criticised when it was finally made public after a several hour cabinet meeting. The fallout since has been well documented, with the plan being criticised from all political sides.

A question, that Wrexham.com has often been tagged in on various social media, has revolved around where Mr Lucas stands on the draft Brexit plan.

Mr Lucas described the contents of the agreement as a “grave disappointment”, and in a statement released to Wrexham.com, he outlined his reasons for opposing the deal.

Mr Lucas said: “In its present form, it is not a deal I can support – and I will vote against it.

“My sincere belief is that this is not in the interests of my constituents, or in the interests of the country as a whole.

“The present deal must be understood to be an interim arrangement. If it were to be agreed, then it would lead to the application of the existing rules when Britain leaves the EU on March 29.”

“This will mean that the UK would operate subject to EU rules and laws for the period beyond our membership. We would have no input in any of those rules or laws, during what the Government calls an ‘implementation period’, and will still be subject to those rules and laws.

“This, to me, seems to leave us with the worst of all possible worlds.

“A better agreement could have been secured if the Prime Minister had reached across the House of Commons to other parties to seek something which was in the best interests of the country as a whole. However, instead she allowed individuals within the Conservative Party to guide her approach – and those individuals have deserted her now that they have decided the deal is not in their personal best interests.

“There are still a myriad of options on the table and it is impossible to anticipate what will happen next. From my perspective as MP for Wrexham, I will continue to try to make decisions on the basis of what I believe to be right, taking into account the views of contrasting kinds which are expressed to me by my constituents.”

Back in June 2016 Wrexham and the UK voted to Leave the EU (relive the coverage here!) with a total of 70,407 voting in Wrexham – with Remain 28,822 against Leave 41,544. At the time Mr Lucas had campaigned to ‘remain’.

The Prime Minister has said she hopes Parliament will vote on the withdrawal deal before Christmas.

The UK is due to leave the EU on March 29th 2019.