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There are just over 40 days to go before the UK is due to leave the EU.

Later this evening MPs will vote on a Government motion that notes discussions between the UK and the EU on the issue of the Irish backstop are ongoing. A so-called 'meaningful vote' on Theresa May's final deal with Europe will take place on February 26 at the latest.

With the clock ticking down Teesside Live today hears from two Teesside MPs at opposing ends of the argument.

Below you can write the views of Labour MP Anna Turley. For an alternative view from Simon Clarke follow this link.

Anna Turley writes:

The Government’s Brexit negotiations are a mess.

When people voted in 2016, they voted for change - to take back control, to make things better for our area and to strengthen Britain’s place in the world. Theresa May’s deal does none of these things and was beaten by the biggest vote in parliamentary history. It gives up our power - we will have to abide by rules over which we have no say - and we will have to pay £50bn which could be used for our public services.

It gives no closure on our future relationship with Europe. This means we are going to be talking about Brexit and the EU for another decade at least. No one wants this - it gives us no clarity and no closure. It does nothing to support jobs and businesses in our area.

This Brexit process has gone horribly wrong. Theresa May could have worked across parliament with those of us who voted to trigger Article 50 and leave, but she has kicked the can down the road. In around forty days we could be crashing out without a single trade deal in place with any other country in the world.

In our area we have companies like Nissan and many of our chemical companies questioning their future in our country. The Northern Irish Peace Process which Mo Mowlam worked so hard to achieve is under threat and our global reputation as a stable and secure country is in tatters. If we leave on WTO rules, Britain will have voluntarily relegated itself from being a Champions League economy to the equivalent of the Conference.

No one voted for this and it is deeply worrying for the future of our country and our children. I know many people in our area voted to Leave and I completely understand that. We have had a raw deal for far too long and the people in power needed to sit up and take notice. But that is exactly why I cannot vote for this deal which will do us more damage than any other part of the country, and which I do not believe delivers on the promises that were made nearly three years ago.

This deal and its threat to jobs and livelihoods on Teesside was not what was on offer and if I voted for her deal now, I would be selling out the people I represent and the country I love.

So I believe the people should have their say on the final deal. Politicians have made a mess of it and what we are being presented with is not what was promised.

Local people have made clear to me they don’t support Theresa May’s deal.

I am not prepared to vote for it unless people tell me it is definitely what they want. It is absolutely right that British people had the first say on Brexit, and now the negotiations have been done and we know what it will look like, they should have the final say too.

Anna Turley is the Labour MP for Redcar