‘Zombie parliament’ possible - MP

VALLEY representatives from the two main parties are in agreement there is no appetite for another general election following the hung parliament.

Haslingden Labour MP Graham Jones said voters are suffering from election fatigue and does not believe another snap election is inevitable.

He said: “People don’t want another election. I think there will be a good chance that we will have a stable Parliament, but one that is very limited in scope. If it is not limited, and controversial domestic legislation is put forward, Parliament may collapse. I think it will be able to limp along for two years, but as a ‘zombie government’ focused on national issues of Brexit.

“The government’s going to have to pick very carefully the issues it wants to bring forward.”

Conservative Rossendale county councillor David Foxcroft said the public are ‘tired’ of elections - but if the House of Commons cannot come together to agree a Brexit deal there may have to be another poll.

He said: “I feel there is no appetite or desire to go and have another general election, but the Brexit negotiations are going to be challenging and very difficult, and I think there will be some people who will continue to frustrate the process. And if that is the case and we are unable to get a deal through because people don’t come together then we may not have a choice in the matter.

“Whether or not that’s within the next six months or the next 18 months I don’t see how we will get through to the end of the process of leaving the EU in 2019 without it.”