WINSFORD’s MP has backed Brexit bill amendments to protect human rights despite scrutiny from fellow members of parliament.

A debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill saw a number of changes tabled on how the UK absolves the EU charter on fundamental rights once it leaves the union.

Antoinette Sandbach, MP for Eddisbury, supported two of the amendments in order to have ‘some form of protection and incorporation’ of the third category of rights on equality.

She said: “It seems to me ridiculous that we are going to bring over 12,000 regulations covering everything from fridges to bananas.

“But then we are not going to deal with some of the most fundamental and basic things that guarantee citizens certain levels of protection. That is the fundamental principle.

“Somebody was discriminated against because they were in a same-sex marriage, and the guaranteed the partner’s right to the pension.

“That was not a matter of social policy. It was enforced because of the charter.

“I very much hope that those on the front bench will go away and undertake their promised exercise from which we will be able to see exactly where the gaps are.

“The rights contained in the charter are longstanding and they apply to UK citizens. I am very keen to ensure that where those right may not be adequately protected, the gaps are filled.”

Last week the MP had been named by the Daily Telegraph as one of 15 Conservative ‘Brexit mutineers’ for her potential opposition to sections of the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Tory MP Sir Bill Cash also called them ‘dissidents’ in a column for The Times.

Ms Sandbach made reference to the accusations in the conclusions of her parliamentary speech.

“We have been publicly vilified for tabling amendments to the bill,” she said.

“Debates such as this illustrate very dramatically to our constituents why it is so important to undertake a democratic process.”