Respecting the majority

Just before bedtime on the evening of the 22nd of June 2016, my young son, William, confessed his fear that we might not have done enough to win the referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU.

My response was straightforward – I had faith that the people of the United Kingdom would make the right decision, but if it wasn’t to be, we could rest easy knowing we had given all we could to the campaign to leave.

By the early hours of the next morning, it became clear the UK had voted to withdraw from the EU. The 72 per cent turnout exceeded all expectations, with the 17,410,742 people who voted Leave representing the biggest popular vote for anything in Britain’s history.

Of course, it is right that the Government is now focused on the logistics and legislative framework required to transform this democratic mandate into political reality. However, the significance of this huge exercise in democratic engagement is something that - regardless of how they voted - everyone who believes in the power of the popular will can celebrate.

Certainly, the achievement of the Leave campaign’s victory was against all the odds. Almost every privileged, vested interest stood squarely to remain in the EU, as every multinational business, every global bank, virtually every mainstream media journalist and the vast majority of politicians closed ranks to protect their cosy consensus.

Indeed, the Remain campaign spent five-and-a-half million pounds more than the Leave campaign. Nevertheless, the people were neither bought, nor silenced, by what has come to be known as ‘project fear’. They trusted their instinctive belief in the restoration of their sovereign nation’s independence.

Whilst many admirable, fair-minded opponents have since accepted the democratic outcome, a considerable number of my friends across politics among them. Sadly, some amongst the establishment elite responded with stunned hysteria. The truth is that most of these people had never before failed to get their own way, so defeat was a dreadful shock for which they were not prepared. It is a mark of great sorrow that the most bitter of remainers have derided working-class leavers, who they dismissively allege ‘didn’t understand for what they were voting.’ or ‘cannot be trusted’ to make informed decisions.

Disappointingly, a number of high-profile figures have now called for a second referendum. Indeed, Vince Cable – a bright man with whom I enjoyed working in Government - has joined their ranks. Surely ignoring the largest mandate in British political history would do irreparable damage to our democracy and rip a hole in the social fabric of Great Britain? Extraordinarily, some of those backing a second vote represent seats in the industrial Midlands and North – areas which voted in great numbers and with great passion for Brexit.

I was delighted to see Lincolnshire record the highest Leave vote in the country, with every single constituency here overwhelmingly choosing autonomy and local decision-making over supranational governance. From the first day I walked into Parliament as a Member, I’ve understood how blessed I am to represent the people of South Holland and the Deepings. I have no intention of letting down the three-quarters of my constituents that voted to leave and the bulk of those that did not, but who respect the result.

This Government must be unequivocal in its rejection of a second referendum and stand firm in favour of the positive, restorative Brexit vision, for which the people voted.