One of the reasons our politics has been so divisive in recent years has been the attitude of many in Parliament seeking to block the decision taken in 2016 to leave the European Union.

If trust in politics is to be regained, the instructions of the people must be carried out.

I participated and voted in favour of the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill in its debate before Christmas, and the legislation will return to the House of Commons this week to continue its parliamentary progress ahead of exit day at the end of the month.

There will be further Brexit legislation required in this session of parliament in order to deliver on exit-related priorities by the end of the implementation period; in particular this will include any legislation needed to implement the future relations this country will agree with the EU by the end of December 2020.

This Bill provides certainty for businesses and people on both sides of the English Channel, and it allows the UK to deliver on the referendum result and focus on other national priorities.

Various avenues of parliamentary scrutiny for the Government are also being re-established. Select Committees for each Government department and All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs), set up by MPs on a whole range of areas, are being formally re-constituted. In particular, I look forward to continuing my work as part of the respective APPGs on Southern Rail, Blood Cancer and Animal Welfare.

This is all in addition to delivering on the priorities raised on the doorstep during the election campaign. An extra £33.9 billion per year for our NHS, an additional 20,000 police officers to keep us safe, and taking action on prison sentences, are all vital issues which the Government will be working on.

Please do not hesitate to let me know if I may be able to assist in 2020; by emailing me directly at: [email protected], calling my office on 01293 934554 or 020 7219 7043, or by writing to me at the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.

Henry Smith MP