High Peak businesses fear a no deal Brexit

In her weekly column for the Glossop Chronicle, MP Ruth George gives her take on the goings-on in Parliament this week and what it means for the High Peak.

After a summer break from Parliament, spending time with my children and dealing with constituency issues from post offices to trains and anti-social behaviour - and not least flooding and the emergency at Whaley Bridge – we are back to a very different session of Parliament.

We all want to get Brexit sorted, to be able to move on with certainty and focus on the very serious problems we face as a country after nearly 10 years of austerity.

But the Prime Minister has sought to give MPs as little time as possible to sort Brexit – just four days before five weeks of absence – and to increase the chances of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Businesses across High Peak have told me that No Deal is their worst nightmare. Some would need to leave the UK altogether to be able to keep trading. The government’s own website sets out how No Deal will cost us all more in terms of price rises, and travelling to Europe would mean expensive health insurance, roaming charges for phones, and delays at the border.

Leaving the EU without a deal is not a responsible option – it’s dangerous for our economy, for jobs and our public services that need more investment.

Hundreds of people from across High Peak came out on the streets of Buxton at the weekend to protest against No Deal and shutting down Parliament to prevent it, and I was proud to join them.

There is no majority in High Peak or the country for leaving the EU without a deal. I’m standing up for sensible decisions for the good of our whole country - making sure we don’t crash out of all of our trade deals and become vulnerable to being exploited, especially by the USA.

Boris Johnson said he wants a different deal and I agree Theresa May’s deal isn’t a good one. But with just six weeks to agree a new deal, he has no alternative proposal, as was apparent when MPs questioned him on Tuesday.

So we’ve seen rational Conservative MPs threatened and expelled from their own party for standing up against a dangerous policy of No Deal.

Because he can’t get his own way, Boris Johnson is seeking an election, doing a deal with the Brexit Party not to stand against him as long as he’s prepared to leave the EU without a deal, regardless of the consequences for our country.

The Conservatives are gambling with our country’s future. I will help Parliament to prevent that and to stand up for a sensible deal that is put to the British people to decide.

I’ve always advocated sensible policies that will work best for High Peak, and that’s not going to change.