As Parliament debated the post-Brexit trade bill, Conservative MP Jonathan Djanogly brought forward an amendment requiring Parliamentary approval of new trade deals. The full clause can be read here (search for NC4).
Seems exactly what Vote Leave meant when they wanted Britain to take back control, doesn’t it?
But almost without exception, Sussex MPs rejected the amendment, putting trade policy firmly in the hands of the government rather than giving a say to our elected representatives. Quite why you would want to become an MP and then vote to take away your own influence is anyone’s guess, but the amendment was rejected by 323 votes to 260.
During the same debate, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer introduced an amendment, supported by Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas, designed to prevent the NHS being up for negotiation in the event of a UK-US trade deal.
The new clause aimed ‘to protect the NHS and publicly funded health and care services in other parts of the UK from any form of control from outside the UK’. The full clause can be read here (search for NC17).
Again, just the sort of thing that you would want to support if you had been visibly clapping for carers outside your door during lockdown.
But the same Sussex MPs also voted against this amendment, and it was also rejected, by 337 votes to 242.
You can see how your MP voted below.
The following MPs voted against both amendments:
| Arundel and South Downs | Andrew Griffith | Con |
| Bexhill & Battle | Huw Merriman | Con |
| Bognor Regis and Littlehampton | Nick Gibb | Con |
| Chichester | Gillian Keegan | Con |
| Crawley | Henry Smith | Con |
| Eastbourne | Caroline Ansell | Con |
| Hastings and Rye | Sally-Ann Hart | Con |
| Horsham | Jeremy Quin | Con |
| Lewes | Maria Caulfield | Con |
| Mid Sussex | Mims Davies | Con |
| Wealden | Nus Ghani | Con |
| Worthing East & Shoreham | Tim Loughton | Con |
Worthing West MP Sir Peter Bottomley did not vote on either amendment.
The three Brighton MPs all voted for both amendments:
| Brighton, Kemptown | Lloyd Russell-Moyle | Lab |
| Brighton, Pavilion | Caroline Lucas | Grn |
| Hove | Peter Kyle | Lab |
Sussex Bylines will be keeping an eye on how our representatives vote in the House of Commons. You can look back on your MP’s voting record at theyworkforyou.com. If you don’t like what you find, do let them know: you can find contact details here. As the website says, they (are supposed to) work for you.
