Highland MP renews calls for a People’s Vote on the EU after Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal is defeated
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THE public must have a say over Brexit in a second EU referendum, MP Drew Hendry insists.
He was speaking after Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal suffered another crushing defeat in Westminster last night. It was defeated by a 149 vote majority – the fourth biggest margin in UK political history.
That defeat came just two months after the first vote, which was defeated by the biggest ever margin – 230 votes.
Mr Hendry believes the scale of those defeats, and a lack of direction over ways out of the political impasse mean that a so-called ‘people’s vote’ is essential.
The MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey said the priority for parliament must be to extend Article 50 and delay the EU leave date of March 29, in order to allow the decision to go back to the people in a second EU referendum.
"Theresa May's bad deal has been thumped down, yet again, by another huge majority and it came as a surprise to no one,” he said.
“Instead of making any genuine attempt to work constructively with others, the Prime Minister spent the last two and a half years pandering to the DUP and her own increasingly right-wing backbenchers, all while ignoring the concerns of the devolved governments.
“The Scottish Parliament voted overwhelmingly to reject the withdrawal agreement and reaffirmed this position when it voted against Theresa May’s deal last week.
“This fiasco cannot go on - is absolutely clear that there must be an extension to article 50 to allow the public to vote again.”
