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).

In Barrow, 60.6 per cent of voters called for Brexit alongside current MP Simon Fell, who believes the UK is improving its prospects following the 2016 vote.

He said: "I was quite surprised with the result, even though I voted leave myself and thought it was the right decision at the time and still do now after seeing some of the things the government has done like getting Brexit done, the vaccine rollout and trade deals with 68 countries plus the EU, there are plenty of benefits to it and I am sure there will be more in years to come."

Overall, 51.9 per cent of voters in the UK voted for the country's exit from the EU, officially leaving the body in January 2020.

In South Lakeland 52.9 per cent of residents opted to remain.

South Lakes MP Tim Farron, who campaign to stay in the EU, has criticised the government's handling of Brexit and believes it has hampered the Lake District economy.

The 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. Now we have left, hopefully people can climb out of their trenches.

"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, Mr Fell 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."