UK ‘in trouble’ without a plan
CHARLOTTE GREEN
HYNDBURN leaders are reflecting on the uncertainty surrounding the UK’s new position in the world following last week’s tumultuous EU referendum.
The victory of the Vote Leave campaign – which was backed by two-thirds of Hyndburn voters – has sparked a chain of events threatening significant short term political and economic instability at home and across Europe.
The vote result led to an immediate crash in the value of the pound while Prime Minister David Cameron set out plans to step down from the premiership by October just hours after it was officially confirmed that the Remain camp, which he was supporting, had lost the referendum.
The Labour Party has also been thrown into turmoil, with a motion of noconfidence being levied against its leader Jeremy Corbyn, and more than a dozen shadow cabinet MPs resigning from their posts.
Hyndburn Labour MP Graham Jones, who backed the Remain campaign, said the result would damage the country and the Government now needed to “steady the ship”.
He said: “The economic problems are being seen already, the stock market is crashing and the pound is now worth around 82p. That’s our pensions.
“I hope the Leave campaigners have a plan. If Boris Johnson and Michael Gove don’t have a plan we are in real trouble, meanwhile David Cameron will go down as one of the worst Prime Ministers in history.
“He had to go, we have to negotiate - you can’t have a drag anchor negotiating the exit.”
Coun Tony Dobson, leader of the Conservative group in Hyndburn, who backed Leave, felt the decision would be positive for the country in the long run. He said: “There will be a short-term economic blip as people around Europe come to terms with the decision, but in the next month people will start buying into the banks - it will settle in quite quickly.
“It is a significant development, but in a few months when things have started to settle down we will be fine.”
The result has also raised the spectre of a possible second independence referendum in Scotland - which strongly backed the Remain camp - and possible referenda in other EU member states.
Former Tory leader Coun Peter Britcliffe admitted to feeling nervous about the future of the UK, despite backing a Brexit vote.
He said: “There’s so much concern about immigration in Hyndburn. A lot of people felt it had to stop. I am nervous about the result, I wonder what will happen next, but it’s a brave new world.
“We need to stand on our own two feet and the people of Britain and Hyndburn are more than capable of doing that.”
Brexit voter Council leader Miles Parkinson said that the Leave campaign had a clear mandate and the “will of the people” should be followed.
He said: “The democratic will of the people has spoken and now we have to come together and accept that.
“Whoever got the mandate after the referendum, the status quo is not an option for the UK or Europe.
“The pound and the stock market go up and down depending on circumstance. There will be negatives in terms of people going on holiday and the exchange rate, but there will be benefits for the UK in terms of exports.”
Remain voter Stephen Dunne, managing director of North West Logistics Ltd, is worried about the political instability caused by Brexit.
He said: “As predicted after the Leave result there is both economic instability with sterling and the markets crashing, and political instability.
“In both Labour or Conservative we don’t have strong leadership and I am very, very fearful of the future of the country without that.” HYNDBURN’S MP has launched a blistering attack on embattled leader Jeremy Corbyn – claiming “he doesn’t give a damn about the Labour Party”.
Mr Corbyn is facing calls to resign after more than 20 members of his shadow cabinet stepped down and 172 of the party’s 229 MPs backed a vote of no confidence in their leader.
A staunch critic of Jeremy Corbyn since his election as leader in September last year, Hyndburn MP Graham Jones has joined calls for him to resign.
Speaking on the Tuesday, Mr Jones, who attended the Parliamentary Labour Party meeting said: “I listened to Jeremy last night - it was truly telling, he doesn’t give a damn about the Labour Party at all. MPs have a mandate from 9.5 million people. Jeremy has got a mandate of 250 thousand (party members). He has got to stand down.
“He’s refused to take the opportunity to speak to people who don’t vote Labour, or go