Yesterday I made an intervention highlighting the importance of the opposition holding the Government to account on Brexit

Our duty now as a responsible opposition is to point out to the government, however large their majority it, where there are issues of substance where we disagree and where the interests if the United Kingdom are not being pursued effectively by the government.

My duty as the MP for Reading East is to stand up for local residents who re-elected me in December on the promise that I would oppose the Tories disastrous approach to Brexit.

This year will be crucial. Brexit is a very serious issue that won’t end when we leave on January 31^st. I’m concerned that Boris Johnson has indicated that he would like to have only one year’s extension to the transition period if his deal goes through.

I believe that it would be very difficult for the Government to negotiate that future relationship in just one year, and that a single year’s delay could lead to a hard Brexit and a no deal in 2020.

I will be doing all I can in Parliament to stand up for Reading and oppose this disastrous prospect for our community and our economy.