A LOCAL MP and Leave campaigner has said there needs to be “less passion and more courtesy” following last week’s referendum on membership of the European Union.

Tory MP David Davies campaigned for an out vote but the largest part of his Monmouth constituency – the Monmouthshire Council area – voted to remain by a wafer-thin majority.

The 28,061 to 27,569 vote for Remain was a majority of less than one per cent on a turn out of 77.69 per cent.

All the neighbouring authority areas, including the Forest and Herefordshire, voted to leave the EU.

In the Forest there was a majority of 8,859 or just over 17 per cent with 30,251 voting Leave and 21,392 wanting the UK to stay a member of the EU. The turnout was77.42 per cent.

In Herefordshire, the majority was 19,974 or 18.44 per cent with 64,122 voting Leave and 44,148 voting remain. The turnout was 78.32 per cent.

Mr Davies said the issues of migration, workers’ rights and support for agriculture and infrastructure projects had been raised with him.

He said: “Over the past few weeks there has been a lot of passion and heated rhetoric on both sides of the argument. While the Leave campaign won, now is the time to show humility and remember that a large proportion of the country are worried at the result. I would immediately like to offer some reassurances on three issues that were repeatedly raised with me.

“Hard-working migrants from EU and non-EU countries were led to believe there was some sort of xenophobic agenda.

“This is utterly untrue. I have friends in Monmouth who come from in and out of the EU.

“Indeed, my wife is from Eastern Europe and my sister-in-law is Chinese.

“I can assure everyone that hard-working, law-abiding migrants are as welcome today as they always have been.

“We do need to get a better control of migration numbers and benefits but this will not have any impact on hard-working people already in the UK.

“It was suggested that there was some sort of plan to tear up workers’ rights.

“Again this is totally untrue. There is no such plan. Britain has strong industrial relations which is one reason why so many want to invest here.

“Workers’ rights are vital to maintaining that positive relationship. They are good for employees and for business and it would be nothing short of madness to try to take them away. Please be assured it will not happen. 

“It was also suggested that MPs would not continue to fund agricultural support or infrastructure support in Wales. Commitments were made during the campaign that these would continue to be supported and I certainly want to echo my own absolute commitment to continued support for both. 

“It looks as though the next few weeks will be eventful for the major political parties.

“My own view is that the Remain campaign should acknowledge the result for Brexit and the Leave campaign should acknowledge it was fairly close.

“We all need to be talking to each other with a little less passion and a bit more courtesy.”

Forest MP Mark Harper was unavailable for comment but had pledged his support for the Remain campaign.

Forest Leave campaigner Cllr Richard Leppington of Bream said he was not surprised by the win in the area or the margin of victory.

He said: “We had an excellent response on the doorstep. People are sick and tired of the political class.”