Following the decision of the
Supreme Court to uphold the last year’s ruling by the High Court that
Parliament must have a say before Article 50 is triggered, the British
government is finalising plans to present a fast-track bill this week Thursday
to start the formal process of taking the country out of the EU.
David Davis while addressing
members of parliament issued a warning to them not to thwart either in the
House of Commons or Lords.
"The purpose of this Bill is
simply to give the Government the power to invoke Article 50 and begin the
process of leaving the European Union," Mr Davis said.
"That's what the British
people voted for and it's what they would expect.
"Parliament will rightly
scrutinise and debate this legislation.
"But I trust no one will
seek to make it a vehicle for attempts to thwart the will of the people or
frustrate or delay the process of exiting the European Union."
He further stressed that the
decision of the Court did not in any way affect the UK’s exit from the EU as he
said "There can be no turning back.
"The point of no return was
passed on June 23 last year."
Immediately after the ruling was
announced, Gina Miller who led the case against the British government welcomed
the outcome.
However, the government was on
the hand pleased as the judges unanimously threw out the petitions submitted by
the devolved administrations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) before
Article 50 is triggered.
The Attorney General Jeremy
Wright in response stated that: "The Government will comply with the
judgment of the court and do all that is necessary to implement it."
Downing Street also said the
Government respected the Supreme Court's decision.
"The British people voted to
leave the EU, and the Government will deliver on their verdict - triggering
Article 50, as planned, by the end of March," said a spokesman.
"Today's ruling does nothing
to change that."
Also leader of the Labour Party,
Jeremy Corbyn has promised that his party undermine triggering of Article 50,
but the party would amend the law to stop the UK becoming a
"bargain-basement tax haven".
On his part, Alex Salmond hinted
his party the SNP would present multiple amendments to the Brexit bill saying
that: "If Theresa May is intent on being true to her word that Scotland
and the other devolved administrations are equal partners in this process, then
now is the time to show it."
Scotland's First Minister Nicola
Sturgeon said the Scottish Government was "obviously disappointed"
with the verdict.
Ms Sturgeon said: "It is
becoming clearer by the day that Scotland's voice is simply not being heard or
listened to within the UK.
"The claims about Scotland
being an equal partner are being exposed as nothing more than empty rhetoric
and the very foundations of the devolution settlement that are supposed to
protect our interests - such as the statutory embedding of the Sewel Convention
- are being shown to be worthless.
"This raises fundamental
issues above and beyond that of EU membership.
"Is Scotland content for our
future to be dictated by an increasingly right-wing Westminster government with
just one MP here - or is it better that we take our future into our own hands?
Also speaking, Tim Farron of the Liberal
Democrats threatened to block Article 50 if the public is will not vote on the
final outcome.
But UKIP's new leader Paul
Nuttall warned MPs and peers not to hamper the passage of the legislation.
"The will of the people will
be heard, and woe betide those politicians or parties that attempt to block,
delay, or in any other way subvert that will," he said.
In the Commons exchanges after Mr
Davis's statement, Labour's Hilary Benn, chairman of the Exiting the EU
Committee, called for a White Paper on the Government's Brexit objectives so
they can be considered by MPs.
He added to Mr Davis:
"Because if the Government does not do so then ... it'll be showing a lack
of respect for this House of Commons."
But Tory eurosceptic John Redwood
said: "If someone votes against sending the Article 50 letter, aren't they
voting against restoring the very parliamentary sovereignty they called in aid?
"Don't the British people
want a proper Parliament, not a puppet Parliament answering to Brussels, and
doesn't that require sending the letter soon?"
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