WEDNESDAY marked the fifth anniversary of the Brexit referendum and South Cumbria's MPs have given their thoughts on the UK's withdrawal from the the European Union (EU).

As 51.9 per cent of voters in the UK demanded the country's exit from the EU, South Lakes MP and remainer Tim Farron has criticised the government's handling of Brexit and believes it has hampered the Lake District economy.

The Westmorland and Lonsdale MP argued: "We can leave the EU and not sell our farmers down the river and not allow a reduction in standards and animal welfare standards and not cripple the Lake District businesses by not letting them get the staff that they need.

"It is possible to have left the EU and not do that damage to the Lake District economy.

"The real damage to the country has been the division within it. It would be nice to think some people can’t remember how they voted and that it is in the past and we can just move on and be united."

However, Barrow MP Simon Fell, who voted leave, has refuted his South Lakes counterpart, claiming that there were already fractures in the UK.

He said: "I think that division and disconnect was already there – the trick now is proving to people that we are giving them back control over their own lives and decision-making and we will gear everything we can to be accountable to them.

"I think there are significant benefits to Brexit – the trade deals we have signed already will be of huge benefit to UK businesses and our economy now and in the future. Opening up new trades and market is fundamental as we didn’t have control to do that in the EU.

"But Brexit has given us the flexibility to deliver the vaccination programme, you look at the mess with the EU central procurement and we have just knuckled down and are still way ahead of the EU in the number of vaccines handed out."

In South Lakes, voters went against the national result, as 52.9 per cent opted to remain.

And Mr Farron believes if the national remain campaign, Britain Stronger In Europe, had followed the example set by his local efforts then the referendum result may have been different.

He said: "I remember feeling frustrated by how bad the remain campaign was, it was unemotional and uninspiring.

"All it seemed to be was threats of what would go wrong if we were to leave. Now, I do think some of those have become true, but that is not a way of getting people to vote for you. But we presented our campaign positively in South Lakeland and we won because of the campaign we ran, which was more uplifting than the one nationally."