Heidi Allen, MP for South Cambridgeshire, put this note up on her website today:
You will undoubtedly have seen the news this morning. The High Court has ruled Parliament must have a say on whether the UK can start the process of leaving the European Union. This means the government cannot trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - beginning formal discussions with the EU - on their own, they must involve Parliament.
This is just the beginning, not least because the Government has already said it will challenge this ruling in the Supreme Court. The right to appeal has already been granted and I understand the case will be heard in early December.
Since 23 June, our lives have been dominated by ifs, whats and maybes and today's ruling has extended that period of uncertainty. Despite these continued unknowns, I thought I should set out my reactions and initial thoughts.
My sense is that this legal challenge will not stop the UK leaving the EU. I have listened carefully to all sides of the debate this morning, and it is clear the ruling is about Parliament's role in Brexit, not whether it can stop Brexit. It means Parliament will have a role to play in scrutinising aspects of the exit deal. I don't want to second guess how this ruling will be interpreted, not least because we have to wait for the Supreme Court's decision, but I think it likely (and very, very welcome) that MPs will have a say on the really important aspects of any potential deal, such as access to the single market, free movement of people and skills etc. This is really good news.
Opinions are already being formed about whether today's news means Parliament will actually have a vote on triggering Article 50. As far as I can ascertain, the Court did not say Parliament MUST pass a piece of legislation to enact Article 50, it simply stated that Parliament must be consulted. This means a vote may not come. The Government could possibly satisfy the Court's requirement purely by allowing debate.
So, in response to the emails and tweets coming in thick and fast about how I would vote, as I have just outlined, it may be that we will not get a formal vote. Please can I urge patience as we await further legal guidance from the Supreme Court? Once we have that, we will be in a much clearer position as to what happens next and you will of course be entitled to ask for my thoughts at that stage.
In conclusion, I feel today's ruling is about the sovereignty of Parliament, not about whether the Brexit vote is null and void. It is about Parliament having a say in the how of Brexit and the detail of Brexit and has given MPs further powers to scrutinise the terms of the deal.
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Heidi Allen MP
South Cambridgeshire
153 St Neots Road
Hardwick
CB23 7QJ
Phone
01954 212 707
E-mail
heidi.allen.mp@parliament.uk
Twitter
@heidiallen75
Website
www.heidisouthcambs.co.uk
Voting record in Parliament
www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/25348/heidi_allen/south_cambridgeshire