Parliamentary Candidate Ellen Nicholson responds to South West Wiltshire MP article urging colleagues to back PM on Brexit plans
In response to the article, South West Wiltshire MP urgeing colleagues to back PM on Brexit Plans, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Ellen Nicholson wrote the following response to the article in the Wiltshire Times and sent to the Wiltshire Times editors letters.
"Sir, I read the article from South West Wiltshire's current MP Dr Murrison with incredulity today.
His comments concerning prorogation are in one sense correct, it is a long time since Parliament was last prorogued, but his interpretation is disingenuous. The government does indeed prorogue parliament frequently, normally on an annual basis or before a general election.
It is the length of time and the reasons behind the decision that are called into question as the length of time is "abnormal". The House of Commons Library reveal that since 2010, the average prorogation has been eight days long and in the last 40 years Parliament has never been prorogued for longer than three weeks. Proroguing Parliament for this length of time and leaving a mere few weeks left to debate Brexit was purely about avoiding Parliamentary scrutiny.
Dr Murrison refers to that awaited Queens speech affecting constituent's lives on health, education, law and order, yet he will know the Government's own economic analysis and recent 'YellowHammer' reports paint a bleak picture for the UK outside the EU on WTO terms, all aspects of our society will be negatively impacted by a no-deal Brexit. I work within the healthcare sector and already know of multiple shortages of medicines across the Country impacting on people's lives. Multiply that chaos in the event of a no-deal Brexit and there will be untold misery to those constituents Dr Murrison so purports to be concerned for.
The fact of the matter is this is a Government in crisis. Refusing to consult on the 2016 referendum, refusing to listen when the Courts ruled had the referendum been legally binding it would have been disallowed, first Treasury counsel Sir James Eadie QC, said that the former Prime minister was fully aware of the unlawful aspects of the referendum campaign. Government could have taken stock then instead it continues to lose MPs and seats, even today Dr Philip Lee crossed the floor to my party the Liberal Democrats.
In the words of David Davis - "If a democracy cannot change its mind is ceases to be a democracy" - it is overdue time to press the pause button on the ticking clock that is Brexit and take this back to the people where it started".