ONE of north Hampshire’s MPs spoke out last night (January 15) against the prime minister’s Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

In a historic night in the House of Commons, in which Theresa May’s deal was voted down in what is numerically the biggest ever defeat for a sitting government, North East Hampshire MP Ranil Jayawardena addressed the house saying the deal put before ministers was a “bad deal”.

As previously reported by the Gazette, Mr Jayawardena had resigned from his parliamentary private secretary role over issues with the proposed Brexit deal.

Addressing the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Jayawardena said: “Trust in politics remains at an all-time low. To pretend that this deal delivers on the referendum only continues to foster the distrust we have seen out there.

“We must be honest with people: this deal does not deliver on the referendum. It retains the worst parts of the EU without the real benefits of Brexit.”

The North East Hampshire MP added: “We must be bolder if we wish to strike the best deal for Britain, whether before D-day or beyond.”

Mr Jayawardena was among the 432 MPs who voted against Mrs May’s proposed withdrawal agreement.

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller and North West Hampshire MP Kit Malthouse, had both previously stated publicly that they would support the prime minister, and both followed party lines voting in favour of the proposed deal.

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Due to the landslide defeat, Mrs May now faces a vote of no confidence, which will take place later today.