This week’s Letter from Westminster comes from Reading East MP Matt Rodda. He writes:

I’m concerned about the Government’s latest Brexit proposals to the European Union and I am calling for a second referendum, in which I would campaign for Britain to remain in the EU.

The Government’s plan means checks, tariffs and infrastructure in Northern Ireland, something which I believe is completely unacceptable.

It also says that the Government now want to step off the level playing field, which means scrapping rights and protections for workers and deregulating our economy. That’s even worse for jobs and rights than the May plan was.

Taken together, these proposals are actually a step back from where we were in March.

What’s worse is particularly the section on Northern Ireland which is very unspecific about how the Good Friday Agreement can be upheld – particularly given that this plan will lead to checks, tariffs and infrastructure on the island of Ireland.

But there’s also now the specific intention to deregulate our economy, with a race to the bottom on rights. Like many people, I am deeply frustrated with the mess the Government has made of this over the last three years. But these simply aren’t credible proposals and they would cause huge damage to our economy and in Northern Ireland.

That’s why Parliament passed the Benn Act to prevent no deal on 31st October and have set out our plans to break this impasse and put the final decision back to the people.

Part of the reason MPs did that is that we never expected Boris Johnson to put forward credible proposals or to get a deal that protects jobs and the economy. We believe that Act is robust and effective. We can’t just accept this very bad set of proposals at the 11th hour.

I am calling on Ministers to obey the law and implement the Benn Act, which will allow a further extension and open up the possibility of a second referendum.

Brexit is a very difficult issue, but I do not think that these proposals are a realistic way forward. I do believe that the public should be given the final say and I would campaign to remain in a second referendum.