Representing Remain

I take seriously the need to bring the country back together after the Brexit vote. I have spent much of the last five months seeking to look after the interests of Remain voters.

I took seriously their fears about possible economic damage from the vote. The Remain campaign concentrated on setting out the possible short term and longer term economic damage they saw. I am pleased to report that now almost six months after the decision there is no visible damage to jobs, output, confidence, house prices and earnings. It is true the pound is down a bit more after the vote, though it has rallied strongly against the Euro and the yen over the last month. The biggest part of the substantial devaluation since June 2015 occurred well before June and well before markets thought Leave would win.

I have spent time setting out in articles and interviews why there is no need to experience any short term economic damage. I have discussed with Ministers actions that can help power more growth, more jobs and higher incomes. I have proposed various ways of ensuring we build more homes and create more better paid jobs. I have been pleased that the government has abandoned the severe deficit reduction policies of the previous government, and is using more realistic – even pessimistic – figures for future revenues and borrowings, In the last Parliament the government regularly failed to hit its revenue targets and so had to borrow more than planned.

I am happy to take up any specific worries or issues Remain voters in Wokingham have. My aim is to help the government build new and better trade relationships for the UK with the world as whole. I want to see a UK open to talent, investment and ideas from around the world. I am pleased to report that so far since the vote jobs are up, pay is up, housebuilding has increased, car out has increased, inward investment continues and the markets are higher now than on June 23rd. Now comes the task of negotiating good future friendly arrangements with the rest of the EU. We will continue to trade, have many collaborations, do much with our EU neighbours after we have left. The aim is to be richer and freer. We will also be better Europeans by allowing them to get on and complete their union which most UK voters did not want to join. I was struck in the many debates I did during the referendum by how practically all the Remain spokespeople said they did not wish to join the Euro, or Schengen, or the political union or the common army.