Conservatives are only choice to deliver Brexit, says Mark Francois on visit to Sunderland

A vote for the Tories is the only way to honour the result of the Brexit referendum, one of the party’s leading Eurosceptics has said on a visit to Sunderland.
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Mark Francois, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party’s European Research Group, was at the National Glass Centre to support Houghton and Sunderland South candidate Chris Howarth.

The glass centre has a special meaning for Mr Howarth – his grandparents used to own the Matthew Turnbull Cornhill glassworks in Southwick, and some of its work is on display.

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The centre is not actually in the constituency, but with the local association covering all three Sunderland constituencies, candidates are campaigning across Sunderland.

Mark Francois and Chris Howarth at the National Glass CentreMark Francois and Chris Howarth at the National Glass Centre
Mark Francois and Chris Howarth at the National Glass Centre

“I’m here to give our campaign a bit of a Eurosceptic push, particularly because it was Sunderland that really led the way on the night of the referendum,” said Mr Francois.

“I remember well seeing the Sunderland result come in very early on and at that point I think many of us knew it really looked like we were going to leave.

He credited Chris Howarth as the man who convinced him the UK had to go it alone: “When I was the Shadow Europe Minister back in 2008 and we were debating the Lisbon Treaty, Chris was my researcher,” he said.

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“It was a complex 300-page international treaty and Chris was the expert that, on a technical level, helped get me through 14 nights of debate in the House of Commons.

Chris Howarth (left) and Mark Francois with the Government's Referendum leafletChris Howarth (left) and Mark Francois with the Government's Referendum leaflet
Chris Howarth (left) and Mark Francois with the Government's Referendum leaflet

“That was my epiphany as a Eurosceptic because we spent 14 nights debating it and I realised at the end of it you could not change a single punctuation mark in the treaty. After that I thought ‘We’ve got to get out of this, we don’t run out own country any more, we’ve become a rubber stamp,’ so that’s what really turned me into a Eurosceptic.

“Chris is an expert in these matters and I believe he would make an excellent Member of Parliament.”

Not everyone was pleased to see Mr Francois on Wearside, and he was heckled by one man while outside the centre.

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He played down fears that leaving the EU without a deal would mean the UK faced years of trying to negotiate a new relationship, saying: “One of the major changes between Boris’ deal and Theresa May’s earlier variant, is that they have changed what is called the political declaration, which are the guidelines for negotiating the new deal, to state the desired end state is a comprehensive free trade agreement, which is what many Eurosceptics have wanted for donkey’s years.”

Chris Howarth shows Mark Francois some of the products from his family's factory on display at the National  Glass CentreChris Howarth shows Mark Francois some of the products from his family's factory on display at the National  Glass Centre
Chris Howarth shows Mark Francois some of the products from his family's factory on display at the National Glass Centre

And he also dismissed fears that leaving the EU would threaten the future of Sunderland’s Nissan plant: “The thing that is very important is that both sides have already agreed the desired end state so we don’t need to waste time haggling over that, and what we would probably look for is something along the lines of the EU/Canadian agreement of 2016, with some add-ons and variations.”

Mr Howarth said international trade was second nature to Nissan: “Japanese car companies in Japan deal across national borders, they import components from around East Asia. the plant here imports components from Japan. Dealing across national boundaries is something they do already. There is no threat to the Nissan plant in Washington.

“We turn the EU/Japan agreement into the UK/Japan agreement, as they have already indicated they wish to.”

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“In 2016, in the iconic referendum result, the people of Sunderland voted overwhelmingly to leave the European Union, yet the three local MPS, now Labour candidates, voted on numerous occasions in the House of Commons to frustrate and block Brexit.

Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Houghton and Sunderland South Chris Howarth visiting the National Glass Centre, with Mark Francois.Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Houghton and Sunderland South Chris Howarth visiting the National Glass Centre, with Mark Francois.
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Houghton and Sunderland South Chris Howarth visiting the National Glass Centre, with Mark Francois.

“Traditional loyalties to the Labour Party are breaking down and people are now reconsidering who they might vote for in future elections.

Boris Johnson understood the mandate that was given to him by places such as Sunderland and it is a Conservative government that is best for jobs, for investment and for improving people’s standards of living.”

Mr Francois said the Government’s own booklet, sent to evferty UK household ahead of the Refereundum had desibed it as 'a once in a generation decision’ and promised ‘This is your decision. The Government will implement what you decide.’

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“The only way we are going to leave the EU and honour the Referendum is if people vote for Christopher and other Conservative candidates so that we can get Brexit done,” he said.

“This was a promise made to the British people and it has to be honoured.”

*Candidates in the Houghton and Sunderland South constituency are:

Richard Peter Bradley (Greens);

Paul Edgeworth (Lib Dems);

Richard Elvin (UKIP);

Christopher John Charles Howarth (Conservatives);

Bridget Maeve Phillipson (Labour);

Kevin Lawrence Yuill (Brexit).