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May To Tell EU Brexit Not Derailed


The prime minister is expected to tell the European Commission’s president her Brexit timetable will not be derailed by the High Court’s Article 50 ruling.

Three judges ruled on Thursday that Theresa May cannot invoke Article 50 without Parliament’s support.

But sources told BBC political correspondent Iain Watson Mrs May will tell Jean-Claude Juncker she still intends to start the process by March.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear the government’s appeal next month.

Mrs May is due to speak to Juncker on the telephone later.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told BBC One’s Question Time that the ruling by the High Court was a “clear attempt to frustrate the will of the British people” despite a “very, very clear” result from the EU referendum.

But Labour MP Lisa Nandy told the programme: “Britain is leaving the EU and whether or not Parliament has to vote to trigger Article 50, this will happen because, in reality, there are no more than a handful of parliamentarians who would seek to block that decision.”

Our correspondent says shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry has made it clear that although she would expect MPs to agree to invoke Article 50, legislation could be used to force the government to be more transparent about its negotiating strategy.

In the landmark ruling, the High Court judges said the government could not trigger the Article 50 process of formally leaving the European Union alone – they must have the approval of Parliament.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg described the ruling as a “massive obstacle” for Mrs May’s stated Brexit timetable.

If the government loses in the Supreme Court, it will have to publish some form of new law for MPs – and the House of Lords – to vote on. MPs could then push to set the terms for negotiating withdrawal and it could face further delays in the Lords, reports the BBC.

The prime minister’s spokeswoman has played down suggestions that Mrs May may call an early general election if she cannot get Parliamentary support, saying that the prime minister believed “there shouldn’t be an election until 2020 and that remains her view”.

Brexit Secretary David Davis told the BBC the result of the EU referendum “must be respected”.

“Parliament voted by six to one to give the decision to the people, no ifs or buts, and that’s why we are appealing this to get on with delivering the best deal for Britain.”

But Gina Miller, the lead claimant in bringing the case to the High Court, urged the government to “do the responsible sober thing, which is to do the job we pay them for, to debate all the aspects to do with leaving and then have a vote”.

The government had argued it could use ancient prerogative powers to give effect “to the will of the people”.

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