COLUMN: I am proud to have helped 'Got Brexit Done'

I am very proud to say that by voting for the Brexit deal I have now delivered on the first part of that promise to constituents, who, in many cases, broke voting habits of a lifetime to send me to Westminster to resolve the long-running Brexit saga, which had done so much to destabilise our great country. I very much look forward to spending the rest of my time in Parliament delivering on the second part of that promise.

As to what the deal itself delivers, it takes back control of our laws, our borders, our money, our trade, and our fisheries.

As regards fisheries, the EU proportion of fish caught in UK waters will be decreased to just 25 per cent over a five and a half year transition period, after which further negotiations will take place to reduce the percentage of the EU catch to zero, should we wish to do so. We will also be exiting the hated EU Common Fisheries Policy, which has done so much to damage both the environment and our fishing industry.

Now the transition period has ended, we will no longer be sending money to the EU to support such things as the destructive Common Agricultural Policy, which did so much to damage the British farming industry, and which was effectively transferring wealth from this country to pay French farmers to put British farmers out of business. We will be putting in place new mechanisms to ensure British farming has a future in the 21st century outside the EU.

On trade, in addition to the trade deal with the EU, we have already signed new trade deals with over 60 countries around the world. Controlling our own trade policy will enable British businesses to access new markets around the world and increase the prosperity of the nation going forward. Never again must we cede power over such a vital part of our economy to foreign powers.

We will regain control of our borders once more, with the EU policy of 'free movement of people' being replaced instead with a new Australian-style points based system, to restore public faith in what was clearly a manifestly broken immigration system. New immigrants will have to contribute tax for five years before being able to claim benefits in the UK, and child benefits will no longer be paid for children based abroad.

Regarding our laws, the European Court of Justice will have no jurisdiction. Laws that affect our country must be decided in the UK Parliament, whose members are accountable to the public in a General Election. It is long past time this crucial issue of sovereignty was addressed, and I am proud to have played my part in doing so.

Finally, there will still be a handful of ultra-Remainers who still do not accept the result, and will cast doubt on the importance of these issues, unwilling to concede to the will of the public on this issue, and falsely claiming the EU had no real effect on our lives. To them I would point out the damning example of the 'Tampon Tax', where VAT had to be levied on women's sanitary products, despite the fact everyone agreed this was morally wrong and wanted to change it, but we couldn't due to EU VAT harmonisation rules, which stated that once VAT was levied on a product, it couldn't be removed.

If a country is so powerless it cannot even remove VAT from tampons, even when there is near universal public and political support for such a move, then could that country truly be called free and sovereign? This was one small malign example of how the EU had slowly taken over functions that should rightly belong to national governments, and I for one am glad that the hated 'tampon tax' is being scrapped now we have finally and fully left the EU.

So there we are. 'Get Brexit Done' has finally become 'Got Brexit Done', the votes of the people of Leigh in the referendum have been honoured, and our country will go forward into the future as a free, sovereign and independent nation once again. It is up to all of us now to guard this hard won victory and to make the most of it, but I for one am very optimistic about the future of our country.