I will not let Portsmouth suffer under Brexit: OPINION

Not only has he shown complete disregard for the catastrophic consequences that a no-deal would have for Portsmouth, he has shamelessly denied the people’s representatives the opportunity to have their say.

A decision so without modern precedent, so intolerable and so toxic that within hours thousands took to the streets to oppose it.

He is running scared from parliament, and in doing so, he is running scared from the people.

What do we know about how no-deal would affect Portsmouth?

We know that our city could become a congested lorry park.

Delays at Portsmouth International Port due to customs checks resulting from no-deal Brexit could gridlock our city – something that has already cost the council £4 million to prepare for.

That’s much-needed money that could have been put into our children’s futures by properly funding Portsmouth schools.

We know that your weekly shop will be 10 per cent more expensive, according to the Bank of England.

Thirty per cent of our food comes from the EU and Asda, the Co-op, Sainsbury’s, M&S and Waitrose have all warned the government food prices will go up under no-deal, forcing yet more people to use foodbanks like the one on Somers Road.

We know that we will face medicine shortages.

That is something the government’s own health secretary warned about due to reduced traffic flow between the nation’s ports.

We know it will affect jobs and business in Portsmouth. Companies such as Airbus have said that a no-deal Brexit would have severe negative consequences for the UK aerospace industry.

I have been trying to speak to as many people as possible about our great city and what no-deal would mean. Following meetings with Theresa May MP, The Chamber of Commerce, Portsmouth International Port and others, I am convinced that no-deal would be disastrous for Portsmouth.

I do not want to see the city I grew up in and the people I grew up with worse off, that is why I have not been standing idly by.

I have taken decisive action by joining other colleagues from across the house in signing the Church House Declaration, I have signed the petition to stop the PM proroguing parliament and I am committed to working with any colleagues from across the house, no matter their party, to stop this PM’s ego-driven reign of anti-democracy.

No-deal will damage our city.

I will continue to do everything I can to stop it.