Lincoln MP Karen Lee has said that some of the city’s biggest employers decried the threat of a no deal Brexit, and that Prime Minster Boris Johnson had put hundreds of jobs at risk by ‘trying to force it through by default’.
The Lincolnite spoke to the Labour MP on Friday, September 6, as the House of Lords passed the Benn bill, designed to prevent a no-deal Brexit on October 31.
It will become law as soon as it gets royal assent, which should happen on Monday, and will force the PM to extend the deadline beyond October 31, if no deal is agreed by October 19.
There’s no guarantee however that no-deal will be off the table completely by an extended deadline.
Photo: The Lincolnite
In the meantime, MPs will be asked again to back a general election in mid October.
“I think the Prime Minister is trying to assert his will in a very undemocratic way. I think the fact he has expelled 21 of his own MPs and shut parliament down tells you there is something very wrong there”, said Karen Lee, acknowledging the confusing state of politics in the UK.
“There will be a general election, it’s just when. If Labour were to agree to an election now and then parliament close for the pre-election period, Mr Johnson could then get his no deal through by default, and we’re not going to let that happen.
“Boris Johnson simply cannot be trusted.”
Karen said a number of local businesses had told her a no deal Brexit would hit them and their staff hard: “I really am going out to local businesses and I have been challenged to name them.
“I have been out to Dawsons, Dynex, Bifrangi, Siemens, Lindum and this morning I have been to Micromentric on Doddington Road. No one wants a no deal Brexit. They are all saying it would hit us in Lincoln and it would cost us jobs. I also have proof.”
“I keep being reminded that 56.9% of the people voted to leave”, she added, “but I don’t just represent the leavers because they won the argument. I represent everybody. I have to look at the argument in the round and think what is best for Lincoln.”
“It would affect jobs. There has been talk about job shortages, shortages of jobs, shortages of medicines. There has not been enough preparation. No deal is just not acceptable. When business people tell me it will harm their businesses, I believe them.”
Karen Lee told The Lincolnite she would back a second referendum, a position she admitted was a change of position from a previous interview, but she could not say if she would campaign for Remain.
“I think we would have to go back and put it to the people with a number of options, including leave and including the choice to remain. But it couldn’t be the way that it was, just the binary question.
“None of us know what’s going to happen now. My understanding is that we would finish on Tuesday. We’re now told that we’re going to be there all week until Thursday.”
Your questions
We also put a number of readers’ questions to the Lincoln MP:
What have you achieved since you became an MP?
“In the last year we handled 4,000 pieces of casework. I have been a really hardworking MP. I have stood up in the chamber and talked about a whole range of issues. As well as that, I am the lowest spending MP in Lincolnshire, which I think people would find a welcome change.
“I think Lincoln would have suffered far more from what the government is doing if I hadn’t been there to question some of it.
“Would a Conservative MP have stood up and said “you shouldn’t be closing the walk-in-centre’? I helped people fight. It’s hard as an opposition MP to change things, but it’s having that voice, and it’s standing up and saying ‘no, that’s not right’.
What are you doing about the Skellingthorpe GP closure?
“Some 80 people turned up to the Skellingthorpe drop in I hosted. The problem is they don’t have enough staff. I understand why it’s closing but I am against it is closing. The Conservative government should have been on top of this.
I am holding another drop in with the CCG on September 18.”
Any news on the Red Arrows?
“Every time I try to chase it up they say no decision has been made and we will let you know when we have.
“There’s a bit in the bottom of my heart that makes me think we are going to lose them.
“I would like to keep them, but they’ve not given a straight answer. I have tried and tried, but I get no straight answers.”
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The Flying Scotsman toured Lincolnshire as it travelled from London on Saturday through Sleaford, Spalding, Boston, Wainfleet and Skegness (and back later in the evening).
The steam train, built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), is among the most recognisable rail vehicles in history, covering more than two million miles when it was in service.
Mark Suffield captured these great photos of The Flying Scotsman at Sleaford Station on September 25.
People in Lincolnshire returned to queueing at petrol stations on Saturday morning after some motorists are panic buying fuel due to fears of shortages.
Fuel stations in Lincoln, Grantham and across the county are experiencing gridlock queues, prompting Lincolnshire Police to appeal to motorists to stop panic buying, as there is no fuel shortage overall — though some local garages are experiencing low supplies.
“If you impede emergency services and cause unnecessary delays, you are putting lives at risk,” was the message from Lincolnshire Police.
The Shell garage on Manthorpe Rd in Grantham was closed on Saturday morning. | Photo: RSM Photography
The force said in a statement on Saturday morning: “This is a potential hazard for vehicles making other journeys, and may cause difficulties for emergency services trying to reach people in need.
“While we appreciate that some people may be particularly keen to fill up their vehicles this weekend, we would respectfully ask motorists to be sensible when making judgements about joining a queue at a petrol station.
“If it is too long, consider returning at a different time.”
Queues at BP Bridge End Road in Grantham on Saturday. | BP Bridge End Road
Emergency service workers are struggling to get fuel
One Lincolnshire emergency worker wrote to The Lincolnite to tell their experience after a hard day’s work, trying to refuel:
“I am currently on fumes and was unable to refuel [Friday], mainly because after a 13/14 hour shifts often with no break (due to NHS pressures from people abusing the system), working on the ambulances, I barely have the energy to drive home never mind sit in a queue for 30 mins plus for people to refuel unnecessarily (AND THIS INCLUDES WITNESSING PEOPLE FILL UP FUEL CANS – one person filling up their car AND THREE fuel cans).
“My days off are precious to me currently, like a lot of us, so I am going to have to risk getting fuel in the morning of my next shift, when no doubt there will be none available. It’s not just me who’s suffering, what’s next, staff being unable to get to work due to this? People not getting the medical help they need in time? Hospital staff not able to get to work? Police and fire unable to respond to emergencies?
“Come on guys sort, yourselves out and just think about people other than yourself, you should be ashamed!”
“This is the first lockdown all over again where essential workers, emergency service, hospital and care home staff are struggling to get BASIC essentials.
“Why do we bother risking our health and lives for others (we are still in a pandemic) when people cannot even behave normally and not act selfishly — if people bought items as normal there would be no ‘crisis’ as it’s being incorrectly worded, there is enough stock out there on the shelves and in the pumps if people behaved.”
Police are investigating an alleged sexual assault after reports a man grabbed a female bartender with both hands and kissed her on the neck at a Grantham pub.
A man bought a drink at The Old Bank Pub on High Street in Grantham at around 7.30pm on Wednesday, September 22. After finishing his drink he went to the bar offering to give a tip.
At this point the alleged incident happened and the member of staff pushed away the man while telling him not to touch her.
Lincolnshire Police have now released a photograph of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the incident.
Have you seen this man? | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or via email at [email protected] quoting incident 381 of September 22.
Alternatively, it can be reported through the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A 43-year-old woman from the Sheffield area has sadly died after a crash on the A16 Louth bypass on Saturday.
The collision, which happened close to Hubbard’s Hills between the A153 and A157 roundabouts, was reported to police at 12.12pm on Saturday, September 25.
It involved a grey Skoda Octavia, which was believed to be stationary on the northbound side of the road, and a silver Mitsubishi L200 also thought to be travelling northbound.
A woman, who was a passenger in the Skoda, sadly did not survive her injuries.
The driver of the Skoda was taken to hospital with injuries described as non life-threatening.
Lincolnshire Police are appealing for witnesses and anyone with dashcam footage to contact them on 101 or via email at [email protected] quoting incident 219 of September 25.
Alternatively, it can be reported through the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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