I want to take the opportunity to explain to my constituents the reasoning behind my votes in the House of Commons last night on the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

In 2017, I was elected on a manifesto commitment to respect the outcome of the referendum, prioritise jobs and living standards, and rule out a no-deal exit.

In the two-and-a-half years since Article 50 was triggered, Parliament has been paralysed; unable to agree a deal that will take us out of the EU and yet unwilling to support leaving with No Deal.

The debates around Britain’s withdrawal from the EU have become dominated by those who shout the loudest, on both sides of the debate. There are some who would happily see the UK leave with no Withdrawal Agreement in place; and another group who want to see Brexit cancelled entirely and the 2016 referendum result ignored.

I have always maintained that we need to reach a deal that respects the result of the referendum whilst protecting jobs, living standards and our economy.

As the old saying goes: ‘a week is a long time in politics’ – something that has never felt more true since the vote in parliament on whether to accept the Prime Minister’s Withdrawal Agreement on January 15.

That vote resulted in the biggest defeat for any government in the history of our Parliament. MPs from all sides – those representing constituencies that voted heavily to Remain; and those, like myself, representing seats that voted heavily to Leave – demonstrated that they did not think that the deal worked in the best interests of the country.

Tuesday night saw the largest defeat of a sitting Prime Minister in living memory. It is therefore absolutely right that the Leader of the Opposition has put forward a motion of no-confidence in the Government.

How we exit the EU is the most important decision we have made in decades. It is vital that we do so in a way that works for both Barnsley and our country.

I voted against accepting the Prime Minister’s Withdrawal Agreement. I did so because, having both respected the referendum result and voted to trigger Article 50, I do not believe that her deal would have served the best interests of the people of Barnsley, or our country.