Rainham and Dagenham MP Jon Cruddas has called for the prime minister to “move over and allow Labour to secure a deal that works for working people” after she called off a Parliamentary vote on her Brexit withdrawal agreement.

Romford Recorder: L-R: Rainham and Dagenham MP Jon Cruddas, Hornchurch and Upminster MP Julia Lopez and Romford MP Andrew Rosindell have expressed their concerns about the prime minister's Brexit withdrawal agreement. Photo: Parliament TVL-R: Rainham and Dagenham MP Jon Cruddas, Hornchurch and Upminster MP Julia Lopez and Romford MP Andrew Rosindell have expressed their concerns about the prime minister's Brexit withdrawal agreement. Photo: Parliament TV (Image: Archant)

Theresa May called off Tuesday’s meaningful vote on her deal on Monday, December 10, despite Downing Street previously insisting the vote would go ahead.

The details of the withdrawal agreement run up to 585 pages and it includes a guarantee that there will be not be physical border checks reintroduced in Northern Ireland.

This would serve as a legally-binding proposal for a customs arrangement with the EU which would come into force if no deal could be reached that would prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland.

Hornchurch and Upminster MP Julia Lopez, Romford MP Andrew Rosindell and Rainham and Dagenham MP Jon Cruddas said that they would all vote against the prime minster’s withdrawal agreement before the cancelled vote was announced.

Mr Cruddas said: “To say yesterday was a shambles would be a gross understatement. Theresa May made a mockery of parliament and the democratic process by denying MPs a meaningful vote on her deal.

“In 2017 she told us time and time again there would be no election, and there was. Over the last few weeks she convinced parliamentarians and the public that the vote would go ahead, and it didn’t. The prime minister has form for not being straight with the country.

“What is clear is that Mrs May negotiated the best deal she was capable of delivering.

“But it was simply not good enough.

“I believe it is time the Tories, having utterly failed, move over and allow Labour to secure a deal that works for working people, the economy, and our environment.”

Mr Rosindell noted that this week may have caused some confusion for people who are not familiar with the world of parliamentary procedure.

He said: “With the numbers heavily against this disappointing withdrawal bill, the government knows very well that this proposal is unacceptable to Parliament and the country as a whole. It is astonishing that the vote was delayed on such short notice, as if it was a surprise that it does not have a chance in passing.

“I do not envy the prime minister’s job, it is the vindictiveness of the EU which clearly wants to set an example to other member mtates, but this is why I have been calling on our government to go back and take a new direction.

“An ambiguous reassurance from Brussels over the ‘backstop’ which threatens our Union is simply not good enough. We would need clear amendments if we were ever going to agree to this deal.

“By law, we are leaving the EU on the 29th March 2019 whether a deal is signed or not. I will continue to press for a real change to this agreement, but we need to make it clear that real preparations for a WTO exit are underway. If there is no attempt to show that we are taking this seriously, voters across the country will understandably react with anger and contempt.”

Mrs May has returned to Brussels to discuss parliament’s role in negotiating terms of the Northern Ireland backstop.

“I’m in no doubt this deal is the right one,” said Mrs May in the House of Commons yesterday.

“It honours the result of the referendum, it protects jobs and security, but it also represents the best deal that is actually negotiable with the European Union.”Of the 471 people who took part in the Recorder’s poll on May’s withdrawal agreement, 82 per cent of people said they did not back the agreement, 6pc said they were unsure and the remaining 12pc said they were in agreement.

The majority of the poll participants voted that they had not changed their mind about their initial Brexit vote with 69pc saying they still think the UK should leave the EU and 26pc saying they think we should still remain in the EU.

Only 3pc of the voters said they originally voted leave and and now think the UK should remain.

“Every day that this charade trundles on is another day in which our economy is suffering, our jobs are threatened and our country is being humiliated,” said Mr Cruddas.

“Whichever way you voted, no one voted to get poorer; and no one voted for a vague Brexit that leaves the country in limbo, with less say and less sovereignty than before this all began. The people of Dagenham and Rainham deserve better.”

Mrs Lopez has been contacted for comment.