Burnham-On-Sea’s MP says he is “disappointed but not surprised” that Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal was strongly rejected in a historic Parliament vote on Tuesday January 15th.
Talking to Burnham-On-Sea.com after Tuesday vote, MP James Heappey confirmed that he voted for the PM’s deal, and added: “I am disappointed by the outcome of the vote, but not surprised.”
“While the House voted against this deal, we still don’t know what deal it is in favour of – is it leaving with no deal, a second referendum, a hard Brexit, a Norway agreement?”
“Clearly, compromises need to be made. The Prime Minister is ready to talk to the opposition parties to see if a cross-party compromise can be reached, but time is against her.”
He predicted the Government would survive Wednesday’s ‘no confidence’ vote, which had been called by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Indeed, the Government did win.
The Burnham-On-Sea MP added that he has read a number of “frustrated, negative comments” criticizing him on social media this week.
“I understand why people feel that way and I do listen, but it is impossible to please everyone. I have thick skin,” he said.
Tuesday’s ‘meaningful vote’ in the House of Commons saw the Prime Minister lose by a thumping 230 votes. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s vote of no confidence in the government could trigger a general election.
Burnham-On-Sea’s MP recently said that the PM’s draft withdrawal agreement between the UK and the EU is “not perfect” and “not what I’d hoped for” but he would support it.
Burnham-On-Sea’s MP defended the Brexit deal at a heated town meeting attended by 200 residents on November 29th.
He said “crashing out” of the EU with no Brexit deal would create a situation that would be “quite brutal”.
And Burnham’s MP added that holding a second referendum would be “a huge betrayal” to voters.
Mr Heappey also made an impassioned speech to Parliament during a debate over Theresa May’s Brexit deal in December.
During the speech, below, he also infamously said: “I left work last night embarrassed to call myself an MP”.
In the debate, he criticised MPs for “digging our trenches deeper and refusing to find compromise.”
In the June 2016 EU referendum, residents in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge voted to leave the EU. Across Sedgemoor, there were 41,869 votes to leave and 26,545 votes to remain. Several polling stations in Burnham and Highbridge reported 70% turnouts, far higher than previous General Elections.
