Vote can solve the problem of a deadlocked parliament

Liberal Democrat PPC Robert Eggleston is calling upon local mid sussex political parties to support his call for a people's vote.

As the hours ticked by last week it became increasingly clear that the draft Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU was unlikely to command a majority in the House of Commons when MPs vote on it in December.

A near fatal blow was dealt to it when the Brexit Secretary and lead political negotiator, Dominic Raab, resigned and disowned it.

The UK faces a constitutional crisis the like of which it has not seen, certainly since Suez, and, possibly, since the House of Lords tried to block the Liberal Party's "People's Budget" in 1909. Historians may call this the "Deadlocked Parliament" because there is clearly no majority for either (i) the Withdrawal Agreement; or (ii) a "No deal Brexit" or; (iii) an "Exit From Brexit" (to paraphrase the three options made by the Prime Minister on Wednesday 14th November 2018).

If Parliament cannot decide then an alternative way must be found to break the deadlock. I see the only way of doing that by returning to the country and seeking a fresh mandate from the British public in a referendum on the deal (a "People's Vote).

As representatives of our respective political parties we should not be afraid of asking the voters of Mid Sussex whether they want Parliament to accept the draft Withdrawal Agreement, or leave without any deal or reverse this process and remain as members of the EU. We can do this by holding a People's Vote.

My views on this matter are not a secret. In a People's Vote I will campaign on a platform which says that there is no better deal than to Remain in the EU. I believe that an examination of the evidence and the alternatives will bear this out. However, none of us will want to see a stalemate in Parliament continuing because of the uncertainty and disruption that it is causes to our democratic structures and our economy.

My request to you is that you join with me in calling on Parliament to grant us a People's Vote. If Parliament cannot decide the people deserve the right to decide our next step. The choices before us are known and a People's Vote can give Parliament the authority it needs to settle this matter once and for all.

Robert Eggleston,

Liberal Democrat Prospective Parlimentary Candidate