Patricia Gibson, MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, has spoken out after yet another shambolic week of chaos at Westminster over the UK Government’s Brexit plans.
Any last semblance of government control vanished, as MPs voted to take charge of the parliamentary timetable, undertaking a series of ‘indicative votes’ on our future relationship with the European Union (EU), before rejecting Theresa May’s Brexit deal for the third time. MPs will revisit the options that garnered the most support.
Meanwhile, more than six million people have backed an online petition calling on Article 50 to be revoked, including at the time of writing, 6,768 people in North Ayrshire and Arran constituency, almost 10% of the electorate. The UK will leave the EU on 12 April without a deal if a way forward cannot be agreed. Mrs Gibson said:
“The Prime Minister and this shambolic Tory Government have lurched from one crisis to another over Brexit, with no plan other than to try and bribe and bully MPs into backing them.
“Prime Ministers usually say to colleagues, “If you don’t back me on an issue of such importance, I might have to resign.” Not with the Tories. Theresa May’s position is, “If you don’t back me, I’ll stay.” She must be the only leader in living memory who tried to fall on her own sword and missed!
“Having failed at the third attempt to gain Parliament’s backing for a deal that is bad for both Scotland and the UK, it must be clear to everyone that this strategy is not working. Both those who voted to Remain and those who voted to Leave are bewildered by the sheer incompetence of the Tory Government throughout this entire process. This is a direct result of Mrs May’s team doing next to nothing for two and a half years, only to be caught in the headlights when the EU dug its heels in.
“MPs will continue to a way forward, as the UK Government should have done before triggering Article 50 almost three years ago.
“Across Scotland 62% of people voted to remain in the EU. Continuing in the single market and customs union is the minimum needed to protect Scotland’s interests and why we continue to oppose the Prime Minister’s shoddy Deal. We do so in the face of a Tory Government gripped by political paralysis and a confused and feeble Labour opposition.
“If Brexit is imposed upon us, people may then wish to consider moving Scotland to a more positive destination.”