Four months ago we had a General Election.
At that election, the Prime Minister received a personal mandate from the British people to lead the country through Brexit and beyond.
At that election Theresa May and the Conservative Party received more votes than David Cameron did in 2015 or in 2010.
Of course, the loss of the slim government majority gained in 2015 was a shock and has led to turbulent times; it has inevitably made leading the country all the more challenging.
However, there is no doubt a change of leader at this point in the Brexit negotiations would be detrimental to securing a successful Brexit. Nonetheless, there are those who would see our Prime Minister fail, irrespective of the consequences for the country. It is not just political opponents who seek this outcome, but also those who oppose Brexit.
At this critical time in our country’s future all politicians need to present a united front and put our country first; put business, jobs and growth first so that Britain can continue to thrive. The political ambitions of a few must be set aside for the good of the many.
And for those who say not only should we have a new leader but also yet another general election I would urge them, whatever their politics, to consider the consequences. Another hung parliament, a different set of faces at the negotiating table, more uncertainty, more delays, more costs, a few more MPs moving in and moving out of Parliament – what benefit for the British people could possibly come from it?
The British people want politicians to get on with the job of running the country: strengthening the economy, creating jobs, delivering public services on which we can all rely, building the infrastructure that our country needs.
Politics needs to be about building a better future. It needs to be about hope, optimism and opportunity. In Telford we understand this. Telford has always been about hope for a better future and getting out there and doing it. We understand that success is about aspiration, hard work being rewarded, overcoming obstacles and never giving up. We understand that nothing great is easy.
We have had an election. Now, I want our elected Prime Minister to stay the course and go on to deliver a successful Brexit and to give opportunity to all my constituents to build a better future.