After spending a great deal of time reading the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, I voted in favour of the deal today.
This is a hugely important moment for our nation, and I am pleased to say that this deal does deliver, as promised, for Orpington and the entire country.
The naysayers said the UK couldn't do it within a year, but the Prime Minister has proved them wrong once again. I want to congratulate the UK's negotiating team for achieving this deal at unprecedented speed.
This deal will allow the UK to thrive outside the European Union as a fully sovereign nation.
This deal takes back control of our laws, borders, money, trade and fisheries, delivering on the referendum result.
With zero tariffs and quotas, this ambitious trade deal is worth more than £600 billion and will protect thousands of British jobs.
British fishermen will receive 25% of EU boats' fishing rights over the next five-and-a-half years. After this transition period, the UK takes back control of its waters, and annual talks will decide EU fishing access.
Ultimately, this is a fair deal; it respects the UK's sovereignty, greatly benefits both sides and allows us to work together on our shared interests, as equals, without a political union.
Importantly, we can revisit this deal and build on it. The UK should continue to pursue areas, such as financial services, which are notoriously difficult to facilitate in trade deals.
I stood to be your Member of Parliament to get Brexit done and take back control. This deal delivers on that promise; that's why I backed it today.
Nearly five years on from the referendum, the UK will finally begin a new chapter in 2021 as an independent and sovereign nation once again.