As residents will know from my Facebook posts, it is rare for the Commons to be voting or sitting on Fridays, which is why most MPs spend Fridays as a 'constituency day' undertaking various meetings and visits in their local areas.
Today though we are voting on the Brexit deal again. This is a little bit unfortunate for me as I was due to be best man at one of my oldest friends from school who is getting married in the Goole area this afternoon! I've had to pull out of that because of these votes. The PM heard about this and has written the a happy couple a lovely note wishing them well. My offer to be best man at my friend's next wedding hasn't been so well received.
Anyways, that's the nature of this job so no complaints from me. I'll be voting for the deal this afternoon which has now been separated off from the future relationship. This is the part of the agreement that only lasts until the end of December but would have us legally out of the EU by May 22nd.
I know some residents don't like the deal but as I have been saying for months, with the Commons deadlocked and dead against a no deal, it is the ONLY way we will get to leave. Indeed, had MPs voted the way I have these past few months we would be leaving this evening.
In the earlier votes this week on various options I voted as follows: against a second referendum, against a Customs Union with the EU as that would result in them setting our international trade policy and against revoking Article 50.
I voted for no deal (not my preferred option), for Common Market 2.0 and for the UK joining EFTA as a way of leaving the EU - thereby having a similar relationship with the EU that Norway does. Those we're all options that would get us out.
I suspect that Labour, who for months have said they don't have a problem with the PMs deal but only the future relationship elements, will now find a way of voting against the deal today even though they agree with it. Similarly, some of my more challenging Brexiteer Tory colleagues will likely vote against along with the DUP.
If defeated again, it's fair to say the chances of us leaving will reduce further. The Remainers want the PMs deal dead so that we get to April 12th and are forced into a long delay or even revoking Article 50. My predictions have come to pass so far and I suspect that is the game Remainers are playing now - kill the only way of delivering Brexit quickly (the PMs deal), force a long delay and then just kill Brexit by a war of attrition during that long delay and extension to Article 50. If only some of my Brexiteer colleagues could see that!
Andrew