Like many others this will be my first chance to vote in an in-out referendum on our membership of the EU. When I cast my vote in the referendum I will not be voting as your MP, but for me personally, expressing what I believe to be best for my family and for our country.

It has been my long-held view that the UK is better off out of the EU and that view remains unchanged. I fought against proposals to join the Euro more than a decade ago. It is now clear that joining the Euro would have been an economic disaster for this country given the recent troubles in the Eurozone. Now the same people who said our economy could not survive if we didn’t join the Euro are saying a vote to leave the EU will be a disaster. They were wrong then and they are wrong now.

I simply believe that we in the UK are better off in control of our own laws, courts and borders. We should take back our sovereignty so that laws affecting the way we live are made by the MPs we elect to represent us at Westminster. It is as simple as that.

The pro-EU lobby will attempt to scare people into voting to remain. They will use arguments such as the EU has ensured continued peace in Europe – wrong, that is down to NATO. Or they will say that we will lose trade with the EU – wrong again, the EU needs us a lot more than we need them. We are the world’s fifth largest economy and we buy a lot more from them than they buy from us.

I will not be joining any of the ‘Leave’ groups but will take the opportunity, if asked, to express my long-held views. I have always been concerned that this important debate will be hijacked by personality politics and the politics of fear. We can’t let this once in a lifetime opportunity descend into who shouts the loudest.

Whilst I congratulate David Cameron on negotiating a special status for the UK, which is vital if we do vote to remain in the EU, it was not enough for me.

Whatever the outcome I will do my best to support the decision of the voting majority and either way continue to serve the best interests of our country and all of which it stands for.

The Conservative Manifesto promised an EU Referendum to give the British people a say on their future relationship with Europe. That promise will be honoured on 23rd June. It will then be up to the British people to make their views known and I, for one, will be voting to leave.