Article by Kwasi for the Surrey Advertiser
It was on 19th February 2016 that David Cameron set the ball rolling for the referendum by announcing the results of his EU negotiations. It’s incredible to think that only a year has passed since the Brexit debate got into full swing.
Today, constituents tell me that they just want to get on with implementing the result. There is little appetite for a second referendum, and the public expects politicians to follow the wishes of the people as expressed in last June’s referendum.
The House of Lords have debated triggering Article 50 this week, and it is unlikely that they will oppose this important step. When I am asked what is the point of the House of Lords, I answer that the Lords play an important role in our political system by scrutinizing legislation. Many peers have a wealth of experience and knowledge which helps them to perform this task. Any attempt by the House of Lords to frustrate the referendum however will inevitably backfire, not only on the House of Lords itself, but on the entire political elite.
For this reason, I suspect that the House of Lords will not oppose the triggering of Article 50 or Brexit. This is a good outcome. Moreover, Theresa May will live up to her reputation as someone who get things done. We are on track to trigger Article 50 by the end of March, a notable achievement. I have never believed Britain has anything to fear from leaving the EU.
In just over a year, the Brexit debate has energised and engaged many thousands in politics. For this reason, the debate has been healthy and shows that people in Britain are more than capable of running their own affairs.