While in public the Government has insisted its focus is on challenging the High Court ruling that it must consult Parliament on the process of triggering formal talks to leave the European Union, in private ministers and civil servants are working on alternatives in the event No 10 loses its appeal.
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Refused to say whether the Government is already drawing up an Article 50 Bill, to comply with the High Court ruling -.despite the Supreme Court appeal.
“I think we all have to remember, and what MPs [ministers of parliament] and peers have to remember, is that we had a vote on 23 June”, May said at Heathrow Airport as she left for a trade mission in India. The British people have spoken and article 50 will be triggered when it comes to Westminster. “After that I became a democrat”, he said.
“We believe the Government has got strong legal arguments. We’ll be putting those arguments to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court will make its judgment”.
But the campaigner who brought the High Court case said it would stop ministers acting like a “tin-pot dictatorship”.
The PM brushed aside speculation that she might seek an early election in the hope of securing a Commons majority which would allow her to negotiate on her own terms.
“Such a scenario would weaken the hand of the Prime Minister as she seeks to secure the best outcome for the country and deliver on the decision the British people to leave the European Union”. “We’re going to put that in to practice”. Yes, there are complexities to be dealt with.
Asked whether she will have dealt with the issue of free movement by the time of the next election, due in 2020, May said that was a matter for negotiation with the EU. “It’s now our job to get on and deliver it”. I’ve always said that this case was not only about abiding by the law and acting in a way that is consistent with the UK’s constitution, although that is of massive importance.
She added: “Do we want a country where we have no process?”
The Supreme Court said it had granted the government permission to appeal against the High Court judgment and set aside four days, from December 5 to 8, to deal with the matter.
“They’ve come out with different decisions – the Northern Irish court found in favour of the Government, the High Court found against government. We will maintain that clear distinction”, a source said.
Senior ministers are trying to put pressure on the Prime Minister to put forward a resolution to Parliament instead of the full bill if her Government has to grant MPs a vote on when to trigger Article 50.
“The government has approached its task in the wrong way and its approach is now unravelling, and I am afraid to say it’s unravelling in a most. ugly way”, said Keir Starmer, the opposition Labour Party’s Brexit spokesman.
“In other words, the whole approach is created to wreck the negotiations”, he said.
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“I believe in and value the independence of the judiciary, I also value the freedom of our press”.
