NORTH-EAST MEP Jude Kirton-Darling speaks of her emotions with hours to go to Brexit.

“The last three years since the EU referendum have been a rollercoaster, but I spent most of my time working in the best interest of the North-East, a region that has been left behind by years of Tory governments and held behind by their austerity measures.

I wanted to give it a prominent voice in the most monumental political process in recent history and to make sure that come what may, I did my best as your Labour representative in the European Parliament.

Unfortunately, despite all of our campaigning and canvassing efforts, along with those of other Labour MEPs and MPs alike, we are now faced with a majority Conservative government with a free reign to do as they please.

The hardest of Brexits seems to be in the works, and we have known for a while, from the government themselves, what damage this would cause to our regional economy, jobs and livelihoods.

So with hours to go until we remove ourselves from the most successful peace project, from a friendship circle that has truly shaped not only our continent, but the whole world, making it a better place, I want to reiterate that it has been an absolute honour and privilege to represent and serve my beautiful and diverse home region.

I can only hope that in the future the UK will decide to take its seat back at the decision-making table in a reformed EU.”