Shrewsbury MP will back Prime Minister's Brexit deal

The pro-Brexit MP voted against the deal last week, and has spoken of how the country should not be afraid of a “managed no-deal”, but said calls from local farmers, business leaders, and councillors had now persuaded him to support the prime minister.

Mrs May is expected to hold another vote on her deal – which has twice been rejected by parliament – this week, amid talk of softening attitudes towards the agreement, and fears from Brexiteers that continuing to oppose it may lead to Britain remaining in the European Union.

Mr Kawczynski said he wants to see Mrs May’s deal passed, and for the country to then look at setting up a “free-trade bloc alternative to the EU”.

The Shrewsbury & Atcham MP has also spoken of the need for “healing” in the Conservative Party, and said local Tories are “tired of the infighting”.

In a message to colleagues explaining his decision he said: “The mood in my constituency is now changing quickly.

“The Local NFU and business chamber are now asking I back deal, as do a vast majority of my councillors and senior association figures – they feel if we continue to push we may lose Brexit.

“In addition they are tired of the infighting.

“As a party we need to start the process of healing the rifts and coming together again.”

Mr Kawczynski has also called on the government to reach out to other countries “starting to question their membership of the EU”.

He said: “Let’s get this over line, leave the EU and start our long journey of managing ever greater sovereignty for our country.

“Then we start to reach out to other EU countries who are now starting to question their membership of the EU and work with them to join us instead in a free trade bloc alternative to the EU.”

Mr Kawczynski, is a member of the hard Brexit supporting European Research Group, which has been opposed to Mrs May’s deal, along with members of the DUP.

The ERG members, including North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson and Jacob Rees Mogg, voted last week to oppose Mrs May’s agreement but it is yet to be seen whether the group as a whole will fall in line behind the government.