General Election 2017: Meg Hillier calls on Jeremy Corbyn to clear up Labour’s Brexit stance
Meg Hillier, representative for Hackney South and Shoreditch, during a photocall for Labour MP's at The House of Commons, Westminster. - Credit: PA Archive/Press Association Ima
Meg Hillier has urged Jeremy Corbyn to clear up his stance on Brexit to avoid a backlash from voters.
The Hackney South and Shoreditch MP rebelled to vote against triggering Article 50, but said all sides now needed to find some common ground.
She told the Gazette: “Brexit will be a major feature of the election. Even people who wanted to leave need to have clarity. Those of us who wanted to remain need to push for the best deal and find some common ground.
“In Hackney the view was very clear. This is an international borough, and constituency. People from all over the world are here and we are trading with the whole world.
“We are still in limbo, we have friends and neighbours worrying about their futures. The leadership has got to come out and clarify what type of Brexit it will be.”
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On a possible backlash against Diane Abbott, her colleague in Hackney North and Stoke Newington who voted to trigger Article 50, Ms Hillier would not be pushed.
“Diane Abbott is a long-standing constituency MP,” she said. “She’s been re-elected plenty of times and she’s a seasoned campaigner who can speak for herself.”
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Though the snap election came as a complete surprise to Ms Hillier, she is looking forward to defending her 24,000 majority next month.
“It gives us a chance to really question the issues around Brexit and give people a say on what it should look like.
“There’s big, big questions on how it will be done and how it will impact on Tech City and businesses who have got real problems with exchange rates – small businesses are the lifeblood of Hackney.
“It also gives us a chance to address the issues around immigration, the NHS and housing, which is one of the biggest local concerns.
“It gives us a chance to get out there and tackle the government on its record.”
