Yvette Cooper MP calls for 'common sense' Brexit after Nigel Farage hosts Brexit Party rally in Pontefract

Yvette Cooper MP has called on her constituents to support a “workable Brexit deal” after Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage accused her of betraying her constituents.
Yvette Cooper MP has called on her constituents to support a workable Brexit deal after Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage accused her of betraying her constituents.Yvette Cooper MP has called on her constituents to support a workable Brexit deal after Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage accused her of betraying her constituents.
Yvette Cooper MP has called on her constituents to support a workable Brexit deal after Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage accused her of betraying her constituents.

In a speech in Featherstone this morning, Mr Farage said that the residents of Pontefract and Castleford had been “betrayed” by their MP, Yvette Cooper, and called for a “clean break Brexit”.

In a statement, Mrs Cooper, MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Normanton, called for “a bit of common sense”, and said that Mr Farage “doesn’t care about manufacturing towns.”

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The Brexit Party, which was launched in January, is calling for a no deal Brexit. Their event in Featherstone this morning was the first in a series of rallies across the country.

Nigel Farage visited Pontefract with the Brexit Party bus this morning.Nigel Farage visited Pontefract with the Brexit Party bus this morning.
Nigel Farage visited Pontefract with the Brexit Party bus this morning.

Speaking at the rally, Mr Farage said: “I can’t think of a better constituency for the Brexit party to visit than here in Pontefract and Castleford. I can’t think of a better one, because 70 per cent of you voted to leave.

“The next year, your member of Parliament, Yvette Cooper, made a series of promises to you. She promised she would respect the vote and she boasted to you that she voted for article 50.

“Of all the constituencies in this country you have been betrayed worse than any other group of people.

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“Our message is that we can do so much better as a nation, our message is that democracy forms the bedrock of our society and without it we will be diminished as a people, diminished as a nation.

Yvette Cooper MP has called on her constituents to support a workable Brexit deal after Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage accused her of betraying her constituents.Yvette Cooper MP has called on her constituents to support a workable Brexit deal after Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage accused her of betraying her constituents.
Yvette Cooper MP has called on her constituents to support a workable Brexit deal after Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage accused her of betraying her constituents.

“No longer are we prepared to see our great nation humiliated in front of the world.”

Prior to the rally, Mr Farage visited Pontefract town centre, where one resident said they were “thrilled” to have met the politician.

Speaking in response to his allegations, Mrs Cooper said: “It won’t be Nigel Farage that suffers if manufacturing jobs are hit or if food prices go up because of his plan to rule out any Brexit deal at all.

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“Instead it will be working families round here who pay the price. Nigel Farage doesn’t care about manufacturing towns.

“He still defends Margaret Thatcher and her policies which devastated our area. He supports privatisation of the NHS. And frankly he couldn’t even be bothered to work out which town he was in.

“We’ve got 15,000 jobs in manufacturing and distribution round here so our area needs a Brexit deal that supports manufacturing, not No Deal chaos – especially given the warnings from local manufacturers like Burberry, Haribo and the glass industry.

“Coalfield communities haven’t forgotten the damage Thatcherites did last time round.

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“I believe we should be standing up for British manufacturing and for working families.

“We need a bit of common sense and for the cross party talks to bring people together to get a workable Brexit deal, not just people shouting at each other and putting jobs at risk.”