Munira Wilson, MP for Twickenham, has today voted against Boris Johnson's trade deal with the European Union, stating it was "bad for jobs, bad for businesses and bad for our environment".

It is the only trade deal in history that puts up barriers to trade rather than takes them away. Crucially, it contains very little for our service sector which constitutes 80% of the UK economy. It leaves this key industry in limbo and subject to future negotiations.

Munira said the deal will lead to "more red tape, longer delays, and higher costs" that will ultimately "make people less well off".

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a grace period to ease the pain for businesses, to protect them from a double-whammy of an ongoing global pandemic and a last minute trade deal.

Speaking following the votes in the Commons, Munira Wilson said:

"I carefully considered this deal and what it means for my constituents. I deliberated extensively how I should vote in the best interests of my constituency. I could not in good faith support Johnson's threadbare deal that will ultimately make my constituents and the rest of the UK less well off.

"The deal will erect non-tariff barriers on businesses, end the UK's participation in Erasmus, end mutual recognition of professional qualifications, deprive the UK's financial services sector of passporting rights, and cut the police from direct access to EU-wide law enforcement databases.

"To be clear, this will mean increased red tape, longer delays and higher costs, whilst leaving great uncertainty for many sectors on the path that lies ahead.

"We will not see many of these impacts overnight but they will be felt like a slow puncture on the UK economy, ultimately putting jobs at risk.

"On behalf of businesses in my constituency, and particularly the thousands of local residents who work in the service sector, it's my job to stand up for them and challenge this Government and this thin deal."