As a Labour activist, I only have to hear the words ‘General Election’ to start dusting off my waterproof and comfy trainers and mentally prepare to leaflet and door-knock for the foreseeable future. Growing up in the North-East, I’ve seen first-hand the benefits a Labour government can bring.

A Labour government changed my life and electing a phenomenal Labour MP and Labour councillors has done nothing but improve the city I now call home, Leeds. I will always campaign for future generations to receive the opportunities I have had as a result of a Labour government and to see an end to the Tory austerity that is destroying our communities.
As we have seen today, however, in the immediate future, a General Election that would make this possible is not going to happen. 118 Conservative MPs did not have confidence in Theresa’s May’s deal, yet they have propped up her failing government in the name of selfishness and self-preservation, not what is best for the people of this country. It is clear the Tories are unequipped and unable to deal with Brexit, and now a General Election is no longer an option. Parliament cannot agree on a deal.
We need to bring it back to the people.
There is now only one clear strategy for the Labour Party: to support a People’s Vote.
If the Labour Party gives the Tories a free reign with Brexit, they will continue to inflict suffering on the people of this country, particularly those who are already marginalised.
I campaign for a People’s Vote because I am a passionate Northerner, not in spite of the it, and I cannot sit on the side-lines and watch a disastrous Tory Brexit wreak havoc on the region that I love. The entire country will suffer, but many regions in the North and the North-East disproportionately so.
No one is saying they ‘know better’ than the millions of people - including the community I grew up in - that voiced their discontent with the status quo and voted leave.
We are saying that this government cannot be trusted to deliver a Brexit that represents what was promised to the people and that won’t damage our country for generations. We are saying that we cannot stand by and watch as the Tories plunge our country into isolation and ruin. We are saying that the voices of young people from the communities that will be greatly affected should, and will, be heard.
The Labour Party I joined fights for those who are suffering and the most vulnerable in our society. Letting the Tories stay at the driving wheel for Brexit will hurt those who need our help the most.
I am delighted to see more and more Labour MPs joining the fight for a People’s Vote, especially those who represent Northern constituencies. I hope to see more Labour MPs put their trust in their constituents and the leadership put their trust in the people.
We need to finally bring this Tory governments catastrophic handling of Brexit to an end. We need a People’s Vote.