It’s been confirmed that the Labour shadow pensions minister has stepped down.
MP for Stockton North, Alex Cunningham, was originally appointed in October 2016, having pushed for greater transparency on investment charges.
Whilst the reasoning for his resignation has not yet been shared by his office, they did provide a statement which referenced the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, and Cunningham’s backing of an amendment which would enable Britain to remain in the customs union.
The statement read: “In recent months, I have spoken with representatives from many companies in my constituency and beyond and received lobbying from many of them through other means. They are as one about the importance of the Government delivering the kind of access and regulatory regime they need to continue their businesses effectively in Europe.
“They also spoke of the threat to investment and the future of many of the jobs they provide in my constituency and across Teesside. I voted as I did as I believed I was leaving the door open for any deal with the EU to possibly include the membership of the Customs Union – something I felt was in the best interests of industry and jobs in my Stockton North constituency.
“After my constituents voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU I saw it as my responsibility to support them in that decision and ensure I worked for the best possible outcome for them in terms of jobs and rights. That I will continue to do.”
