Portsmouth, Havant and Gosport MPs react to Boris Johnson's new Brexit deal

The Prime Minister and his negotiators have been locked in crunch talks with the EU over the past couple of days.

This morning he announced that he had secured a ‘great new deal’ for Britain to leave the European Union after October 31.

MPs from across Portsmouth, Havant and Gosport have been reacting following the PMs announcement.

Former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt has called on MPs to ‘get Brexit done’.

The Portsmouth North MP said: ‘It is really good news to hear we have a Brexit Deal. I am currently wading through the documents and the detail.

‘All MPs must now make their own minds up whether they can support it or not. The country needs us to get Brexit done and that is my aim.’

Gosport MP Caroline Dineage praised the Prime Minister for securing a new deal from the EU.

She said: ‘Boris has pulled off something we were told couldn't be done - persuading the EU to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement and remove the old undemocratic backstop.

‘The new Deal allows us to take back control of our laws and borders and means we can take advantage of the very real global opportunities of Brexit whilst preserving peace in Northern Ireland.

‘In short this deal delivers on the referendum result that my constituents voted for.’

While Alan Mak, MP for Havant, added: ‘I am very pleased that the Prime Minister has secured a new Brexit deal from the EU that ensures we take back control of our laws, trade, borders and money.

‘I’ll be voting for the deal when it comes to the House of Commons and I hope MPs from all parties can get behind it to deliver on the result of the referendum.

‘Once Brexit is delivered I look forward to working with the Prime Minister to implement our important domestic agenda that was outlined in the Queen’s Speech.’

However Labour’s Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan was more critical of the deal.

He said: ‘Working people. The NHS. Low income families.

‘These will be hit hardest by the negative effects of Mr Johnson’s failure of a Brexit deal with the EU.

‘It runs riot over centuries of progress made towards workers’ rights, places profit over people and leaves the door open for our cherished NHS services to be pillaged by privatisation.

‘With the Tory track record of eroding workers’ rights and selling of bits of the NHS to the highest bidder, is this any wonder?

‘I did not think that it would be feasible to see a deal worse for Portsmouth people than the one put forward by the Mrs. May, however, Mr Johnson seems to have surpassed even that.

‘It is nothing more than a race to the bottom on rights and protections.

‘There is nothing in the deal that has the ability to heal the current divide. I am not willing to vote for a deal that will make Portsmouth poorer and insult people to such a degree.

‘There is only one way out of this mess. The PM must be brave and put it to the people and let them have the final say.’

A crunch vote will be held in Parliament on Saturday to decide whether MPs back the new deal after Theresa May’s was struck down three times.

The Hampshire chamber of commerce have also reacted to the PMs new deal.

Executive chairman Ross McNally said: ‘Wherever they stand on Brexit, our members have continually told us that they want to see certainty in the future trading partnership between the UK and the EU.

‘It has been a rocky road up to now, with years of negotiations and the previous agreement failing to secure parliamentary support.

‘We of course welcome today’s announcement of a proposed new agreement but given that we have been here before, the fear is that a similar scenario will play out and further uncertainty will prevail.

‘We call on politicians to recognise the implications for businesses in Hampshire and across the UK if the current Brexit impasse continues.

‘Businesses desperately need and deserve a clear model of what working political relationship is going to emerge so they can get back to planning and investing with confidence.

‘Until we know the finer detail and what support parliament will ultimately give, our message to businesses is to continue being pragmatic and make contingency plans for all possible Brexit scenarios.’