Politicians must show the same courage on Brexit as voters, an MP says.

Charlie Elphicke said that nearly two-thirds of his constituents who voted in the 2016 European Union referendum chose to leave despite fears raised of the consequences.

The Dover and Deal MP told the House of Commons: "Change doesn't come easily; it takes political courage.

"Our voters have shown more courage than far too many Members of this House, who fear change, who fear to grasp those opportunities, who fear to grasp what the world offers.

"Our voters understand better the need for that courage.

"They can look at the figures and see that the EU has been in relative decline in the last few decades, going from 30% to just 15% of GDP.

"And they know that 90% of future economic growth in the world will come from outside the European Union."

“That is why it is so important to believe in better, back our constituents and make a success of Britain out in the world—a global Britain."

Mr Elphicke was speaking at the House of Commons on Monday, July 16, during the Brexit debate on the Customs Bill.

MPs, by 305 against 302 backed an amendment that prevents the UK from collecting taxes on behalf of the EU.

This is unless the rest of the EU does the same for the UK.

Another amendment, to ensure the UK is out of the EU's VAT regime, got through by 303 to 300 votes.

In the June 2016 referendum 51.89% nationally voted to leave and 48.11% chose to remain.

In Dover district, which also includes part of the South Thanet constituency, a total 62.2% wanted to leave while 37.8% wanted to stay.

Nationally 51.89% voted to leave and 48.11% chose to remain.

Mr Elphicke told the Commons:“In the referendum campaign my constituents were told by the Home Office that the Jungle would move from Calais to Dover.

" And they were told by the former Prime Minister (David Cameron) there would be queues of lorries on the way to Dover and gridlock—a mantra taken up by the party opposite (Labour).

"And they were then told by the Treasury that they would lose their jobs and their homes to boot in a calamitous disaster."

“Despite that level of fear they believed in the opportunity that lay before them.

Two-thirds voted to leave the European Union.

"Because they believed in the kind of opportunities and the kind of Britain that we can build. They believed in better. They believed in the future, in our sense of nationhood and independence and in the kind country that we could build: independent, out in the wide world. "

The Jungle was a notorious migrant camp, which had 10,000 inhabitants at its height and was closed in October 2016.