LETTERS SPECIAL PART 2: Mary Creagh's Brexit vote

Mark Woodhead, via email
EU referendum photocall, Ilkley Moor..23rd May 2016 ..Picture by Simon HulmeEU referendum photocall, Ilkley Moor..23rd May 2016 ..Picture by Simon Hulme
EU referendum photocall, Ilkley Moor..23rd May 2016 ..Picture by Simon Hulme

Mary Creagh should step down as MP.

The people of Wakefield and Britain as a whole voted to leave, and leave we will. That’s democracy.

Also, she didn’t follow her boss Jeremy Corbyn’s official line, so time to leave the Labour party as well I’d say.

David Aldred, Kings Meadow, Ossett

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Wakefield voted 67 per cent to leave the EU, therefore Mary Creagh needs to resign immediately.

According to the www.parliament.uk website regarding the role of an MP, they have responsibilities to three main groups: their constituents, Parliament and their political party.

She has gone against these and needs sacking for gross misconduct.

She is our spokesperson at Westminster - if she does not wish to represent her constituents, which clearly she doesn’t, she should not be in this position.

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Ms Creagh clearly has her own agenda and thinks she knows better than her constituents.

There are lots of people very disappointed in Mary Creagh and no longer want her as their MP

David Oxley, Invoke Democracy Yorkshire

I read with incredulity that Wakefield MP Mary Creagh was voting against article 50 in parliament.

She has completely ignored her constituents who voted by 66 per cent to leave the EU and to trigger article 50.

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Perhaps she has some personal issue with the EU, perhaps she is after one of those cushy jobs in Brussels, perhaps she stuck to her principles but either way it is time for her to stand down and call a by-election.

If she really thinks that her views are worth fighting for then she should put those to the people of Wakefield and give them a say in how their affairs are run.

Those who voted to leave the EU voted for more control over our lives, for more democracy, the least we expected was that our voices would be heard who ever won the referendum.

Mary Creagh is trying to ignore the democratic voice of the people of Wakefield and does represent the wishes of the majority of her constituents.

It’s time she did the decent thing and resigned her seat.

John Clarkson, via email

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So Mary Creagh is reported as saying that she could not bring herself to vote for Brexit, despite an overwhelming majority of her constituents voting in favour of leaving the EU.

I voted remain but accept democracy - obviously she does not and hopefully her constituents will remember this when she is next up for election.

Tracy Ward, via email

Mary Creagh is there to act on behalf of her constituents, the majority voted to leave in a democratic and fair election.

No matter what her views are, she is there to represent the majority, not what she feels like she wants to do.

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Ms Creagh should tender her resignation and stand down immediately. She and other MPs who acted in this manner do not deserve to represent us. Would Brexiters be stomping their feet if they had lost, I think not.

Buckle down, unite and work together to get the best for all British people.

Nigel Sedgwick, West Bretton

I am not a Labour supporter but I accepted Mary Creagh as the MP for Wakefield because she was voted for by the majority.

I expected her to represent the views of the majority on the most important matters in our community.

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Why cant she accept the views of the majority on Brexit? Not only across the UK but, more importantly, in her own constituency.

Even Corbyn wanted his party to support the vote.

Tom Kay, Netherton

Well done Mary Creagh, at last a politician who sticks to their principles.

Like Mary, there are many in Wakefield who did not want a referendum on Europe and did not want to leave the EU. As we all know West Yorkshire was, and is, a winner as far as European cash is concerned, getting more in than we pay out. There are many talented and experienced Europeans working in our region particularly pharmacists, dentists and doctors who work within the NHS. MPs must ensure that we get the best Brexit by scrutinizing every aspect of the leave deal before our benefits are signed away.

David Hinchliffe, Wakefield MP 1987-2005

Having served as Mary Creagh’s predecessor as Wakefield MP, I believe that she was absolutely right to exercise her own judgment in respect of the Commons vote on triggering Article 50 for the UK leaving the EU.

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It is important to understand that MPs are not delegates on behalf of their constituencies and, while being expected to normally follow their party’s line, should at the end of the day vote in accordance with their own conscience and understanding of an issue. I have a vivid recollection of being subject to similar criticism and, indeed abuse, for voting against my own party on a three-line whip on the issue of invading Iraq. Looking back now, there are very few folk who would say I was wrong to vote the way I did.

I actively campaigned against EU membership in the 1970s and voted to leave in the 1975 referendum, but believe that leaving the EU now - in a very different era - will be a fundamental mistake which will cost the less well off in this country a great deal. The June referendum was David Cameron’s desperate attempt to end the longstanding internal Conservative Party disputes over Europe once and for all.

His decision backfired spectacularly and the pitiful sight of Prime Minister Theresa May hand in hand with the likes of Trump indicates how genuinely anxious and uncertain the government now is about our future trading relationships. Knowing personally the limitations of some of those responsible for dealing with Brexit gives me deep cause for concern about the prospects for communities such as Wakefield and the nation.

I take no pleasure in saying that, just as I was proved right on my Iraq vote, I believe Mary Creagh will in due course also be vindicated.

Tim Blake, via email

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Mary is voting against her leader, it doesn’t make any impact on the outcome and she knows that,

Perhaps she should have called in sick to avoid the backlash she’s going to get.

Mike Woulfe, via email

Why are some people apparently so angry with Mary Creagh for voting as she did on the recent Brexit trigger bill?

Surely democracy is about respecting the will of the majority, not about silencing the minority. The majority of the electorate voted in favour of Brexit; the Supreme Court then upheld the sovereign right of Parliament alone to initiate such a major legal move; Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of triggering the process; and a minority of MPs have voiced dissent.

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Thank God we still have the democratic right of dissent and considered opposition as well as respect for the will of the majority and respect for the rule of law. Both Wilberforce and Churchill once spoke from the wilderness and were bitterly criticised in their time. Thankfully they both stood firm.

We will always need the considered, courageous voices of the minority to give perspective and pause for thought to the majority. Without the dignity of respected, minority views, we become a fascist state. Mary Creagh has shown immense courage and dignity in articulating the minority view. We should be proud to have an MP of such integrity.

So uphold the rule of law; abide by the majority yet honour, respect and always hear the minority. Always an open mind. Our soldiers have fought and died for this. Great statesmen and women have braved contempt for this. This is way more important than Brexit or the EU. This is our democracy. This is freedom.