Today is a day for national unity, the Government has clearly heard the views of the people and now the work begins to implement change. The majority of residents in our constituency expressed their wish to leave the EU, and I will do everything I can to make sure that this is done in a way that benefits our businesses, jobs, households and daily lives. This decision just goes to show that democracy is alive and well and the people really are in charge. We must take a calm and rational approach to dealing with the immediate uncertainty and the likely economic headwinds that we will see. If we work together, locally and nationally, we can make the very best of this decision and use it as a platform for the change that the British people want. As I have said before and during the campaign, concerns over unsustainable levels of migration have been ignored for too long and we now have an opportunity to deal with this. Let’s be clear, this is a world-changing decision which will have profound consequences. Sadly, the Prime Minister has decided that the challenges ahead will require new leadership and I understand his position that a new approach to our relationship with Europe is required. I would, however, like to recognise his excellent work in turning round an economy gripped by the deepest recession since the Great Depression. We have excellent business people, an experienced government and respected diplomats; the work starts today in the challenge of securing economic stability and agreeing a new trading relationship with our biggest partner. I know many will be worried about the short term impacts on their jobs and businesses, the status of UK citizens living abroad and those from other EU countries living and working here, but I do believe that we can successfully meet these concerns. In life, as in business, we need to embrace change and move forward to a positive and prosperous future.
