The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
‘Take note EU’ says Vara after new Brexit vote
Shailesh Vara has welcomed the result in Parliament on Tuesday evening which saw MPs support renegotiating the withdrawal agreement with the EU.
The Conservative MP for North West Cambridgeshire supported an amendment by Graham Brady which passed by 317 votes to 301.
The amendment calls on the proposed Northern Ireland backstop being removed with “alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border”.
The Government had backed the amendment.
MPs also backed Caroline Spelman’s amendment to prevent the UK leaving the EU without a deal, although neither are legally binding.
Five other amendments were rejected.
Mr Vara said: “I’m pleased that the Prime Minister was given a mandate by Parliament that she should go back to Brussels and renegotiate the withdrawal agreement so there are legally binding changes.
“The backstop is a major issue for many Members of Parliament including myself. It leaves the UK in a EU customs union where you can’t unilat- erally leave.
“It’s important that we either have the backstop removed or there’s provision for us to leave unilaterally without the consent of the EU.
“I very much hope the Prime Minister will have some success and that Brussels has taken note of the vote and will be in the mood to negotiate even at this late stage.”
MPs had voted down the Government’s Withdrawal Agreement by 230 votes earlier this month.
MP for Peterborough Fiona Onasanya was absent for the votes after being jailed earlier in the day for three months for perverting the course of justice (see pages 4 and 5).