When the dust settles on Brexit, we must move forward in order to put some of the division about the nature of our country’s relationship with the European Union behind us. Northern Ireland, in particular, knows the damage that division can do, and the benefits when that division can be overcome.

This government has an overriding duty not just to deliver on the referendum result, but to do so in ways that keep our United Kingdom united. The deal achieved by the prime minister is the only one on the table that can do that. Northern Ireland’s constitutional status within the United Kingdom is fully protected, while its unique history and geography are respected. It is an unprecedented and ambitious relationship that will protect jobs, communities and livelihoods across the UK as a whole.

I am proud to serve in a government that will never be neutral in its support of our precious union and for Northern Ireland’s integral place within it, based on the consent principle as set out in the Belfast agreement, also known as the Good Friday agreement. We believe firmly that the best future for Northern Ireland lies within a stronger United Kingdom. The deal we have reached with the EU helps us to achieve this. It avoids a hard border with Ireland and prevents a customs border in the Irish Sea, thereby allowing the people of Northern Ireland to continue living their lives as they do now. Crucially it will ensure that Northern Ireland, as part of the United Kingdom, will continue to benefit from the stability, security and prosperity that come with being part of the world’s fifth largest economy.

Northern Ireland’s business community, in particular, has been very supportive of the deal. More than 93% of Manufacturing Northern Ireland members back this deal, as do other business and farming representative bodies such as the Federation of Small Business, the Institute of Directors and the Ulster Farmers’ Union.

Leaving without an agreement in place, or an implementation period through which to adjust to our new relationship, would cause acute uncertainty for businesses, citizens, and consumers alike. This would pose unique challenges for Northern Ireland in particular. Strengthening Northern Ireland’s economy was an important dividend of the political settlement of the Belfast agreement – all of us have a duty to safeguard those gains in how we deliver on the Brexit vote.

No 10 hits back as pro-Brexit aides threaten to quit over backstop Read more

That is why we need to be very clear about what rejecting this deal would mean: grave uncertainty and greater division for our country, with the real risk of either no Brexit or leaving the European Union with no deal at all. It would mean going back to square one – with less time to focus on the issues that really matter to people across the United Kingdom. It would mean a threat to jobs, investment and the economy. Above all, it would mean a host of unintended consequences for our country – when what we need instead is to come together in the national interest and build that brighter future we all want to see.

The prime minister believes passionately, as do I, that our country is stronger and better together. She has fought hard to preserve the bonds between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Like her, I am convinced that our best days lie ahead of us. As we face the challenges and reap the opportunities of Brexit, it is essential that we do so as one nation in a way that preserves prosperity in all parts of the UK. This deal achieves exactly that. It is not perfect, but that is the nature of a long and complex negotiation process.

It is, however, the only solution on the table that delivers on the referendum, and delivers a stronger, fairer and more prosperous United Kingdom.

• Karen Bradley is secretary of state for Northern Ireland