Local LibDems reject Government claim that 85% support Brexit

Government responds to Parliamentary petition demanding they hold referendum on the final Brexit deal.

In their statement they Government claim: “In the 2017 General Election more than 85% of people voted for parties committed to respecting that result,” and use this claim to reject the possibility of a democratic referendum on the facts of their proposals after the negotiations are complete.

Local LibDems claim this comes as a surprise to the people of Brighton and Hove over 68% of whom voted Remain in the referendum.

The Government statement goes on to say that Parliament will have a meaningful vote on the result of the negotiations but with the only choice being “to either accept the final agreement or leave the EU with no agreement.”

Local LibDems say we have a minority Government that cannot agree within its own cabinet on how the future should look. But, they refuse to allow the electorate to pass judgement on their efforts to negotiate with the EU. Even Parliament will only be offered a ‘take it or leave it’ choice between accepting the result or plunging out of the EU with no deal.

Carrie Hynds, LibDem Candidate for Hove at the 2017 election, said: “I challenge Peter Kyle, MP for Hove to join us in rejecting this arrogance from the Government. Mr Kyle will know that many thousands of LibDem and Green voters lent him their vote to campaign against Brexit. Indeed he specifically sought tactical votes using campaign literature that quoted LibDem and Green Party members urging their fellow party supporters to lend Peter their vote.”

“He must honour his covenant with those tactical voters and support, alongside his colleague Sadiq Khan – the Mayor of London, the LibDem call for a Referendum of the People on the final deal with an option to remain in the EU.”

Peter Kyle MP, responded saying: “This is a bonkers statement even by Lib Deb standards. I’ve been ‘rejecting the arrogance of this government’ since the day I became an MP, not only for Brexit but on issues local Lib Dem’s are mute, like crime, national security, and domestic violence.

“The Lib Dem’s need to keep up. I’ve been publicly saying that we need to keep all options open on Brexit, including a referendum, since June last year. I acted in the interests of my whole community, not just those who voted tactically for me, when I voted against Article 50 being triggered in March. I noticed then that almost half of Lib Dem MPs failed to join me in the ‘no’ voting lobby, so will take no lectures on my own leadership on this issue.

“When it comes to protecting the community that elected me from a bad Brexit, and fighting for a better way forward for our country, I’m working openheartedly with people from all parties. A little more humility, and a lot less piety, from people who issue foolish statements like this would go a long way to helping our community reconcile after the referendum and stand up to the dangerous policies of a government hellbent on ripping all that is great from our economy through its Brexit shambles.”