THE South West voted narrowly for leaving the EU, a result which almost exactly mirrored the 52/48 per cent national figure. People were promised control and freedom without any cost. The Chequers plan, with its ‘continued harmonisation’ with EU rules, and with the European Court of Justice as the interpreter of such rules, makes clear that those promises cannot be fulfilled. Theresa May’s plan is cherry picking, but they are cherries that will leave no one happy and will anyway be rejected by the EU.

Trying to strike a deal outside the exiting single market and customs union was always going to involve trade-offs. Choosing between jobs reliant on our interconnected global economy and greater freedom to make our laws; between a close relationship with the EU or a future based on closer connections with the US and other more distant economies.

As I travel across my large and diverse constituency, I hear people who are now realising the costs of Brexit. Not only the economic costs, but also threats to our environment and society, particularly to our NHS, to peace in Northern Ireland and to citizen’s rights. And they are changing their minds about whether leaving the EU is a good idea. That is why I – and over 200,000 people who have so far signed a petition – are calling for a People’s Vote on the final deal. This way you can decide whether the reality of Brexit is better or worse for our future than remaining in the EU.

MOLLY SCOTT CATO, Green MEP for the South West, European Parliament, Brussels