POLITICIANS from all sides of the political spectrum have expressed concerns over what the proposed Brexit deal could mean for Oxfordshire.

The county’s MPs have been giving their reaction to the Withdrawal Agreement unveiled by Prime Minister Theresa May last week, with the controversial document receiving a frosty reception.

Oxford East Labour MP Anneliese Dodds quizzed Mrs May in the House of Commons on what the deal could mean for the thousands of EU nationals who currently live in Oxford.

Speaking in the Commons, Ms Dodds said the future for those residents had been left ‘ambiguous’ and called on the PM to provide more clarity.

Commenting after the debate, she said: “I am very concerned about this proposed deal for many reasons - including what this deal will mean for our friends, neighbours and co-workers who come from the EU27 and have made Oxford their home.

“I’m not convinced that the draft agreement gives adequate protection for EU nationals, and that is why I pressed Theresa May for a specific answer on whether she can guarantee the rights of EU citizens to stay in the UK after Brexit.”

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran said she felt the deal ‘threatened’ businesses, the NHS, schools and universities in Oxford.

The Liberal Democrat, who has long campaigned for another vote on Brexit, said she did not feel the deal was likely to get the backing of Parliament.

She added: “With the prospect of first a transition period and then a ‘backstop’, local businesses will have to endure many more years of paralysing uncertainty as they wait for meaningful detail on the future relationship.”

Ed Vaizey, Conservative MP for Wantage and Didcot, has pledged to back the Prime Minister should any vote of no confidence arise and is supporting the proposed agreement as a better choice than leaving without a deal.

He spent much of the weekend arguing with critics on Twitter and said he was now convinced passing the deal was ‘more important than the referendum itself’ especially for the economy.

Banbury MP Victoria Prentis agreed that the deal seemed like a ‘workable solution’ but conceded there had been ‘give and take’ on both sides.

Fellow Conservative and MP for Witney Robert Courts, who resigned a Government position over Brexit earlier this year, has yet to comment further after saying on Thursday he would read the full document and talk to ministers before forming his opinion on how to vote.

Conservative Henley MP John Howell is also still reading through the 500-odd pages of the draft agreement but said it raised questions about the country’s relationship with the EU.