Guildford MP Anne Milton Explains Why She Joined the Other Tory Rebels

Published on: 7 Sep, 2019
Updated on: 9 Sep, 2019

Anne Milton

By Martin Giles

“These have been the most difficult days of my political life,” Guildford MP Anne Milton has said in a letter to constituents, outlining why she joined 20 other rebel Tory MPs deselected this week for voting against Boris Johnson’s no-deal Brexit.

Ms Milton said she was “shocked and disappointed by the Prime Minister’s decision to suspend Parliament”, was concerned by the Irish border question and backed a second referendum if the Parliamentary impasse continues.

With the whip withdrawn, she cannot stand as a Conservative candidate in a general election but could as an Independent. The Guildford Conservative Association (GCA), responsible for candidate selection is believed to be in a “holding position” at present.

With an election looming, they would hold a special selection meeting but that is likely to prove controversial. And it is recognised that the whip could be restored to Ms Milton and her fellow rebels before then.

She wrote:

I am writing to explain my reasons for supporting the European Union (Withdrawal) No. 6 Bill this week. In the referendum in 2016, I gave both options serious consideration. Whilst recognising many of the arguments to leave the EU, I voted to remain. I believe the result of the referendum should be honoured and it is not, and has never been my intention to prevent or stop Brexit, but I do not feel we should leave the EU without a deal.

I voted to trigger Article 50, and voted on three occasions in Parliament to leave with a deal which, if more had voted with me, would have ensured that the UK had left the EU by 29 March.

When Boris Johnson was elected Prime Minister, I offered my full support in order to renegotiate a deal. The Prime Minister appeared to have productive and cordial meetings with both President Macron and Chancellor Merkel, where there was some outward appetite to achieve tweaks to the Withdrawal Agreement. However, more recently I have had grave concerns.

First, I was shocked and disappointed by the Prime Minister’s decision to suspend Parliament. Although the House was due to rise for a three-week conference recess, this would have been subject to a vote and I do not think a majority of MPs would have supported such a long period away from Westminster. I felt that Parliament should sit through this critical period in order for MPs to scrutinise and question ministers.

I met the Prime Minister on Wednesday with a group of MPs. Although he spoke of wanting to get a deal, as he has done in public, he offered little detail on how this might be achieved. Particularly, it was not at all clear that any technical solutions to replace the Irish Backstop have been formally put forward or could be in place in the near future.

The Irish border remains an ongoing problem for which a solution will be extremely difficult to find without threatening the Good Friday Agreement. Also at that meeting little was said to reassure those of us who had read an article that morning setting out how the Government’s efforts to achieve a deal were, at best, perfunctory.

We now need to be clear if it is possible for the House of Commons to agree a deal. There is good evidence to suggest that a number of MPs from opposition parties would now vote for the Withdrawal Agreement but that needs to be tested. Alternatively, it is possible that if small changes to the Withdrawal Agreement could be made that it might then be acceptable. Sadly, the Government’s decision to prorogue Parliament leaves the option of building a cross-party consensus impossible to achieve, as MPs will be in their constituencies and not in Parliament.

If no agreement can be reached in the House of Commons then here are only two options, a General Election or a second referendum. A General Election will not resolve the decisions about Brexit and in my view it is likely that if we had a General Election we would end up with a Parliament where there is no overall majority and decisions about Brexit would be no further forward.

In December 2018, I said in a letter to my constituents: “I have grave concerns about a second referendum. However, if Parliament were unable to form a majority view then a second referendum may be the only responsible way forward. A second referendum could include: the opportunity to rescind Article 50; leaving the EU on WTO rules or indeed the draft Agreement we have before us today. I have doubts whether the enabling legislation could get through Parliament until, and unless, Parliament is deadlocked.”

We may now have reached the stage where the House of Commons cannot reach an agreement and if that is the case I believe the only option would be to return to the public for a new vote. As I said, this should not be a repeat of the 2016 referendum, but a vote on several options, perhaps Remain, the Withdrawal Agreement and no deal.

However, in order for this to finally settle the matter either single transferable vote or some such voting mechanism should be employed. I do not underestimate the difficulty of getting the enabling legislation for a referendum through the House of Commons, but I suspect the urgency now would at this point, focus the minds of MPs.

These have been the most difficult days of my political life and I never imagined my career as a Conservative MP would end in this way. However, I stand as determined as ever to be a strong, moderate and independent voice for Guildford and my constituents in the House of Commons. I would like to thank all of those who have taken so much time to send messages of support.

My best wishes,

Anne Milton