Saturday

23rd Sep 2023

British MPs battling for a say on Brexit

  • The government has "no authority or mandate to adopt a negotiating position without reference to the wishes of the house", an MP said. (Photo: House of Commons)

The British prime minister has turned down calls to allow MPs a say over the UK's Brexit negotiating position, but a rebellion is growing on the issue.

A spokesman for Theresa May said on Monday (10 October) that parliament would "of course … debate and scrutinise that process as it goes on".

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

But he added that "a second vote, or a vote to second-guess the will of the British people is not an acceptable way forward".

Opposition Labour MPs had asked for an emergency debate to be held on the negotiating terms. The request was turned down by the House of Commons speaker.

"Negotiating secrecy won't wash as an excuse," Ed Miliband, the Labour leader at the last election, said in a Twitter message.

"The country has a right to know the government's Brexit strategy and parliament must vote on it."

Stephen Phillips, a Conservative MP who voted for the UK to leave the EU, said the government had “no authority or mandate to adopt a negotiating position without reference to the wishes of the house and those of the British people, expressed through their elected representatives”.

He added that EU "tyranny" had been replaced by "that of a government that apparently wishes to ignore the views of the house".

Brexit minister David Davis argued that the 23 June referendum had given a clear mandate, and that the government would "reject any attempt to hold up the process unduly, or any attempt to keep Britain in the EU by the back door".

Lawsuit

But according to the Guardian, a group of Tory MPs is considering joining a legal challenge to be heard in the High Court this week to the government’s right to act without MPs' consent.

"There is so much at stake, and the process is moving so fast, that we cannot stand by the sidelines, we must do everything possible to ensure that parliament has a say,” a source close to the group of MPs told the newspaper.

Last month, in another case, government's lawyers argued that parliament's consent to launch EU exit talks was not required because the legislation that organised the EU referendum "did not prescribe steps which the government was required to make in the event of a leave vote".

Prime minister May said she would trigger article 50, the exit procedure, before the end of March next year and that control of immigration would be one the main issues.

According to the BBC, the government had planned to publish a formal proposals in the autumn to outline its position, but the idea was dropped.

Meanwhile, the pound has been losing ground to other currencies and reached a 31-year low last Friday amid reports of a "hard" Brexit that would cut the UK from the EU single market.

UK releases legal arguments on Article 50

In its recently released legal defence the UK government argues that neither the Westminster parliament, nor Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales has a say in when Britian will trigger the Brexit process.

May: Brexit is 'quiet revolution'

The British prime minister concluded the Tory party conference in the UK by pledging to regain control of immigration and by taking a swipe at pro-EU elites.

British MPs get chance to shape Brexit strategy

British prime minister Theresa May continued to talk tough on Brexit in a parliament debate on Wednesday, but left room for MPs to prevent a future trade war with the EU.

EU’s €500m gender violence plan falls short, say auditors

The 'Spotlight Initiative' was launched in 2017 with a budget of €500 million to end all forms of violence or harmful practices against women and girls in partner countries, but so far it has had "little impact", say EU auditors.

Latest News

  1. Europe's energy strategy: A tale of competing priorities
  2. Why Greek state workers are protesting new labour law
  3. Gloves off, as Polish ruling party fights for power
  4. Here's the headline of every op-ed imploring something to stop
  5. Report: Tax richest 0.5%, raise €213bn for EU coffers
  6. EU aid for Africa risks violating spending rules, Oxfam says
  7. Activists push €40bn fossil subsidies into Dutch-election spotlight
  8. Europe must Trump-proof its Ukraine arms supplies

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us