Sir – Why are MPs, including ours, seemingly prepared to vote for an agreement which keeps us locked into the EU and does not honour the referendum result?

When the Prime Minister made her Florence speech last year proposing an implementation period, our MP stated this: “The PM was clear in her speech that the offer of the implementation period was linked to a successful conclusion of the wider talks on a partnership and that we will be leaving with or without a deal in March 2019.”

They key words here are that agreeing the implementation period in the Withdrawal Agreement depends on success by now of “wider talks on partnership”.

But talks on a trade deal and future co-operation have not even begun because the EU obdurately refuses to start them.

So clearly, the PM’s conditions have not been met and Conservative MP’s-including Mr Walker, cannot possibly vote either to extend Article 50 or to take “no deal” off the table and at the same time keep their promise to leave on March 29.

The question of the backstop is irrelevant and a case of ‘watch the distraction birdie’ because the rest of the Withdrawal Agreement is so bad.

The pressure is now on Mr Walker to keep his word, resign from government and vote to leave the EU on March 29 as he promised.

Francis Lankester

Worcester