The MP for Lichfield and Burntwood has hailed the efforts of Boris Johnson as the Prime Minister looks to get his Brexit deal through Parliament.
Negotiations have seen a new agreement thrashed out, with MPs set to decide whether to back the deal in a sitting of the House of Commons over the weekend.
Michael Fabricant, Conservative MP for the Lichfield constituency, said the work to agree a new deal with EU counterparts had been “an incredible achievement”.
“Now that the back stop has been scrapped which would have kept the UK in the EU indefinitely for as long as the EU wanted, I can enthusiastically support Boris’ new deal,” he said.
“This negotiation has been an incredible achievement. Boris has been PM for less than 90 days and he has achieved what the EU said they would never allow.
“Instead, both the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration have now been changed and the backstop deleted. It means we will leave the EU entirely.
“Northern Ireland will remain fully in the UK Customs teriitory and the entire UK will leave the Customs Union and Single Market.
“I am already hearing talk of how we will scrap VAT rates on domestic fuel and women’s sanitary towels once we have left. We are currently not allowed to reduce any VAT rates while we remain in the EU.
“With the EU saying that they will not grant an extension even if Parliament – made up of a majority of MPs who never wanted to honour the referendum – forces Boris to write a letter requesting to remain after October 31st, the choice seems clear. We will either leave the EU on October 31st with this deal or none at all.
“Putting it bluntly, Boris and his team have pulled a blinder. “
Mr Fabricant added that Brexit would create fresh opportunities for the country.
“Ours will be a sovereign nation again and our prosperity will not be limited by a Europe in decline as it is at present,” he said. “We will be a global trading nation as we always were.”
