We’ve seen many changes in British politics. We were both elected to represent English constituencies in the 1990s and both were proud members of a Labour government that rebuilt our economy and public services after years of Tory neglect. Yet in many communities older, declining industries were not replaced by work with the same rewards or status. Economic decline was overlaid with rapid social change, including migration, and many of our constituents felt consecutive governments were not listening to the concerns of people such as them.

We were disappointed but not surprised when both of our constituencies voted “leave” by significant margins. The EU was not to blame for holding back areas such as Hull and Southampton — the fault lay much closer to home