No Deal Brexit: Sunderland MPs say it would be disastrous for city

Would you rather proceed with a no-deal Brexit than not at all? Picture: PA.

The vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal will take place next week. So ahead of January 15, we want to know if you think a No Deal Brexit is better than a bad deal. Wearside's MPs Sharon Hodgson, Bridget Phillipson, and Julie Elliott have all put their names to the letter, with Mrs Hodgson, who represents Washington and Sunderland West, adding that a no-deal Brexit would be "catastrophic" for the city and its economy.

More than 100 Echo readers shared their views on this issue via our social media channels.

How would you like to see Brexit play out?

Some argued that "no deal is better than a bad deal", while others called on Sunderland's MPs to stand by and support the views of the electorate.

A total of 82,394 people in Sunderland voted to Leave - 61.3% to 38.7% for Remain.

On Tuesday in Parliament, 20 Conservative MPs gave their backing to a cross-party amendment to the Finance Bill intended to limit the Government's powers to make tax changes in the event of no-deal.

Five days of debate will begin in the House of Commons on Wednesday, culminating in the vote next week.

A People's Vote Brexit march took place in Sunderland towards the end of last year.

Here are some of your comments from the Sunderland Echo Facebook page:

Valerie Waters: "They don’t represent me, I voted leave, not a deal."

Gordon Greenman: "I hope that people recognise that these three have gone against the will of the people who voted them in."

Doug Roper: "Of course a no-deal Brexit would be a catastrophe for the North East.

"Any Brexit will be. What’s devastating is that it’s precisely the areas that will be hardest hit that voted to leave the EU in the largest numbers."

Barbara Wilkinson Clark: "Personally I voted to leave for a lot of different reasons and leave we should without a deal."

Bill Walton: "Not a big fan of our elected representatives but I totally agree. A no deal Brexit would be catastrophic. If anyone can give a sound economic argument for doing so I’m willing to listen."

Sylvia Marrs: "They are elected by the people of Sunderland. I've emailed my MP for Sunderland and told her exactly what I thought.

"You need to email your MP and gently remind them Sunderland voted out not for a deal that shackles Britain to the EU without a way out."

Pete Bogg: "Our region like no other depends on the EU whether that's from grants, from exports or from the supply chain. If and now it's a big if, if we leave it will be catastrophic for our economy."

Liam Sheils: "It is the responsibility of your MP to represent your best interests. Even if you are too daft to realise what your best interests are."

Chris James Binks: "No deal, is better than a bad deal, these so called MPs are a joke."

Nathan Richardson: "Will be the best thing that could happen to this area."

Bob Wilkinson: "A no deal is better than the one on offer."

Hazel Gorman: "Respect the people vote out [means] out."

Elizabeth Johnson: "Deal or no deal will be bad for Sunderland!"

Ashley Smith: "A no deal Brexit immediately puts a 10% tariffs on cars exported from Nissan.

"Do you think Nissan is going to keep current production levels when it can move production to the Spain plant?"

Eddy Howden: "If the North East is already one of the poorest areas of the country how do you suppose that telling us that we will be worse off is going to worry us?"

Roy Robertson: "Why do you not understand what the people of Sunderland voted for."

No Deal Brexit: Sunderland MPs say it would be disastrous for city - do you agree?