Mansfield MP Ben Bradley says Britain has every right to take action if EU won't play fair

I was very happy to back the Prime Minister and vote for this Bill, which is vital to ensuring Britain becomes a self-governing, free-trading nation from January 1.

It seems that despite everything, the EU simply can’t accept that the UK is leaving to make its own way in the world and therefore won’t be subject to EU rules and authority.

David Frost, Britain’s chief negotiator with the EU, has outlined how the negotiations have reached the point where this Bill is now necessary.

Essentially, the EU has threatened not to put Great Britain on its list of ‘third countries’.

These are countries that are outside of the EU who are approved to import food and other goods.

This would mean England, Scotland and Wales would be unable to send food or other exports to Northern Ireland.

Clearly that is unacceptable, and no self-respecting independent state could agree to such demands and the Government therefore needed to act.

Labour voted against the Bill and again sided with the EU, despite saying how important the UK internal market is.

It’s been more than four years since the people of Mansfield voted to leave and it’s about time Britain took charge of its own borders, laws and finances.

This bill helps us achieve that and let’s be clear, it does not break international laws.

If the EU is not abiding by the spirit of the Withdrawal Agreement, Britain has every right to act, and this Bill will not come in to play unless we are unable to agree a reasonable Trade Deal with the EU.

I made the point in the debate on the Bill in Parliament that people in Mansfield have voted many times now for control over their borders, sovereignty for the United Kingdom and to be forward looking and optimistic about the future outside of the EU.

I raised the countless messages I have received from constituents in full of support of the Prime Minister’s approach to this.

I will continue to support the Prime Minister as we end the transition period, stand up to the EU where necessary and become a stronger United Kingdom on the world stage.

Ben Bradley is MP for Mansfield.