I’m incredibly grateful for the thoughtful and heartfelt engagement I’ve received from constituents on this matter. I know how much this vote means to so many of you, and I want to reassure you that I’ve read – and continue to read – every email that has come in.
Many of these emails have moved me and my team in ways that briefings and papers cannot do, though I attended many professional events at the request of my constituents to bolster these accounts – I will forever be grateful for the volume of correspondence I have received to inform my view on this matter.
In November, I voted in favour of Kim Leadbeater’s proposal. I did so because I believe that an issue of this complexity and moral weight deserves detailed scrutiny. The proposal allows for this to happen through an extended Bill Committee process – bringing together MPs from across parties to examine the evidence, consider all perspectives, and test the arguments over several months.
My full letter explaining how I have voted is attached below, and is available on my social media pages.
This is not the final vote on the matter, and I expect this process to lead to amendments that address many of the concerns constituents have raised with me. Voices from my constituents will continue to guide my hand, and I will continue to communicate with my constituents in Milton Keynes Central around my voting decision once this bill returns to the Commons in a final form this Friday.
