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The University of Kent’s Student Newspaper Issue 14.7 Friday 25 January 2019 inquiremedia.co.uk FREE
Where next for Britain? Uncertainty gathers as May’s Brexit deal suffers crushing defeat in Parliament By Bill Bowkett Newspaper News Editor
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heresa May’s Brexit divorce bill was emphatically rejected in the House of Commons last week by 230 votes - the largest defeat for a government history - but survived a no-confidence motion to remove her as PM. Kent Union President Aaron Thompson labeled the vote on the European Union (EU) Withdrawal Bill as a “historic defeat” for the UK government on Facebook, with 432 MPs voting against her, many of whom were members of her own party. Thompson, who is also an activist for the pro-remain group For Future’s Sake (FFS), said the outcome “shows that this country has been successful in lobbying their MPs and lobbying government to vote down the deal as it does not serve the people. Now more than ever we must continue to lobby our MPs and stop this confusion and lack of movement. Let’s make a firm decision as a country.” The majority of Kent’s MPs rejected the government’s deal, despite the Prime Minister’s concerns that rejecting it would cause “catastrophic harm” to the electorates’ trust in politicians. Among those who voted against the proposals was Rosie Duffield, Member of Parliament for Canterbury, Whitstable and surrounding villages, who has been
The big yellow ‘Bollocks to Brexit’ bus made its stop in Canterbury on the last week of the autumn term, with Kent Union Full-Time Officers and University of Kent Chancellor, Gavin Esler, in attendance (Photo by @BollocksBus)
actively campaigning for a second referendum on EU membership. The 47-year-old, who was elected as the constituency’s MP in 2017 after displacing senior Conservative Sir Julian Brazier, said that she “cannot vote for any deal that will make my constituents poorer that will drive investment
Rosie Duffield MP “I remain committed to a People’s Vote, with an option to remain”
away” and will be voting “no confidence in Theresa May’s government” in “any future votes of no confidence brought before the house over the next few weeks”. In a letter written over Christmas, Duffield wrote to her constituents: “It has been confirmed by the Government’s own analyses
Aaron Thompson “Let’s stop this confusion and lack of movement”
and those of other respected institutions such as the Bank of England and the Institute for Fiscal Studies, that this deal threatens the economic prosperity of the UK. All outcomes currently on the table would leave Britain worse off.” She added, in relation to students: “Those leaving Canterbury’s uni-
Ruth Wilkinson “I have no confidence in Corbyn, who is only thinking about the success of Labour”
versities need well paid, secure jobs; this deal not only threatens livelihoods, but it threatens futures.” Miss Duffield joined Kent Union and Canterbury Christchurch Students’ Union President in creating a joint statement in support of a second referendum. It reads: “The consequences
Dr Phillip Cunliffe “Universities needn’t fear a No-Deal Brexit”
