I am writing this article having just been along to my local polling station the Tawny Owl, to vote in the EU Referendum. By the time that this appears in print, we will have an answer to whether Britain will continue as a member of the European Union.
Whilst I and my South Swindon colleague Robert Buckland MP have set out our views (cancelling each other out!); now is the time that we accept the decision made by the public and get on with the job of ensuring that Britain continues to be a fantastic country to live and work – whether as a member of the EU or not.
This referendum was about letting the great British public decide and I am proud that the Conservative government allowed this referendum to take place. After all this was the only truly democratic way that this issue could finally be addressed.
I have always maintained that the British people get the big decisions right, even if the final result differs to my own personal vote. The important thing now is to accept the decision and put all of the campaign quarrelling behind us. The public has spoken. I am proud that we handed this decision to them and now we must continue to run the country on their behalf, making the absolute best of the new position we find ourselves in.
Away from the Referendum, on Monday I joined other MPs as we were recalled back to Parliament to pay tributes to Jo Cox MP who was tragically taken from us in the most brutal and horrific way imaginable.
Jo had only been an MP for slightly over a year, a cruelly short amount of time for somebody so talented and compassionate. I was one of the lucky ones who actually did a small bit of work with her in that short period of time, so I was able to witness what a dedicated and caring MP she was. She was local to the area that she represented and was a truly down to earth Yorkshire lass who genuinely put the needs of her constituents before anything else. A huge loss to Parliament and a huge loss for our country.
In light of her horrific murder, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of the local residents who have sent me messages of support and gratitude for the work that I do as their local MP. I want everybody to know that an incident like this will not change my approach. I will continue to be local, approachable and visible. Hate must never be allowed to triumph in these circumstances.
