EALING Central and Acton MP, Rupa Huq has explained why she abstained on last week's Brexit deal vote.

Although in 2017, all three Ealing MPs voted against the UK's decision to leave the EU, last week's vote saw only Huq go against the government and the Labour whip as well.

Huq said: "I didn't want to feed into the narrative of Boris Johnson's Christmas Eve miracle that everyone loved.

"I had serious misgivings about a massive downgrade which all but ignores the 80% of our economy that is services.

"Financial services, that gets 90 mentions in the 1,254 Trade and Cooperation agreement, is such a big local employer.

"Contrastingly fishing accounting for just 1% of the economy got 378 mentions."

The bill passed with a huge majority, by 521 to 73 votes, with 40 abstentions, after Parliament was recalled from Christmas break.

Rupa commented: "I did not want to endorse a bad deal of which many of its unfolding negative consequences will further and further reveal themselves and prove to be damaging to constituents both economically and culturally and for both the prosperity and security of people in Ealing and Acton."

She also went on both Channel 4 News and Times Radio to explain why she was abstaining.

"Abstaining meant I was not blocking the passage of legislation to provide some cushion to the blow of Brexit."

Huq stressed that she was honouring promises made to her electorate including the Green Party who withdrew from the 2017 election in support of her candidacy on the proviso she fought against a hard Brexit.

She concluded "In contrast to the government's unalloyed triumphalism, I personally feel a profound sense of sadness that our relationship with the EU had to end in this way.

In a busy day just over four hours were afforded to a 50 year history and 80 page bill, meaning I was not able to speak in the debate – so much for the sovereignty of Parliament!"