Newcastle North MP, Catherine McKinnell, has urged the Government to represent the whole of the country throughout the Brexit negotiations process, following last week’s Article 50 ruling by the High Court.
Questioning the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union after his statement to the House of Commons today, Catherine said:
‘Last week’s ruling was not about overturning the referendum.
‘But it did recognise that this issue will affect every man, woman and child in this country, and therefore their democratically elected representatives should have a role in making sure the Government gets the best deal for everybody.
‘Without greater transparency, how can the Government provide that reassurance that they’re not just representing the 52% – or the 48% – but the whole of the country?’
Speaking afterwards, Catherine commented:
‘Leaving the EU will affect every aspect of people’s lives regardless of how they voted on 23rd June, and the British public and businesses based here deserve some transparency about what Brexit will actually mean for them.
‘This is one of the single biggest issues facing the UK for decades, and this process is simply too important to be handled behind closed doors.
‘My focus is on ensuring Ministers get the best possible deal for Newcastle and the North East – and Parliament must be able to properly scrutinise the Government’s approach to ensure that happens.’