HOORAY! MPS SAY YES TO EU EXIT
It’s about time too... now let’s get on with it!
THERESA May was given an overwhelming mandate last night to trigger Brexit.
In a historic Commons vote, MPs agreed by 461 votes to 89 to urge the Government to invoke Article 50, the trigger for leaving the European Union, by the end of March 2017.
MPs on both sides of the debate agreed that the victory
provides ministers with a “blank cheque” to start freeing Britain from Brussels rule.
The 372 majority does not have the force of law but it was acknowledged that Remainer MPs would “find it impossible” in practice to renege on it.
The decisive vote to “respect the wishes of the United Kingdom and call on the Government to invoke Article 50 by March 31, 2017”, was on a Government amendment to a Labour motion calling on Theresa May to reveal a Brexit plan.
With the amendment passed, a second vote on the full motion passed 448 to 75, confirming the decision with an increased majority of 373.
Brexit campaigners hailed the Article 50 vote after a marathon six-hour debate as the most significant moment since the British people decided in the referendum on June 23 to end the UK’s membership of the EU.
Former Cabinet minister and leading Brexit support Iain Duncan Smith said: “This is a historic moment. For the first time ever a majority of MPs have voted to leave the European union.”
“The Labour Party has given the Government a blank cheque. Now let’s get on with it.”
During the debate, Brexit Secretary David Davis said that the vote would reveal whether MPs “are prepared to back Britain and support our plan to follow the instruction of the British people and leave the European Union”.
He added: “The Government are absolutely determined to honour the decision made by the British people on June 23.” Mr Duncan Smith said in the debate that in supporting the Government amendment Labour was “giving the Government a blank cheque to go forward and invoke Article 50 without any real caveats.”
Later in the debate, Labour Remain supporter Ben Bradshaw said he was opposing the Bill precisely because “it gives the government a blank cheque” to trigger Article 50.
But veteran DUP MP Nigel Dodds warned that “anyone voting for this amendment will find impossible to justify to the public any reneging, any going back or any procrastination – anything after March 31 that seeks to delay the triggering of Article 50. That is the reality of the situation.”
Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer revealed that his party still intend to try to thwart a clean Brexit by trying to force the Government to remain tied to the EU through being members of the single market and the customs union.
He said: “Labour will not frustrate the Article 50 process [but] it does intend to shape the debate and head off hard Brexit.”
But his position was ridiculed by many MPs.
Tory foreign affairs committee chairman Crispin Blunt said: “He [Mr Starmer] does understand, surely, that no plan survives engagement with the enemy. That is a military metaphor. Our negotiating hand is clear.”
Mr Davis told MPs that it would be “inconceivable” for Parliament not to get a vote on the final deal with the EU but warned that they would not be able to reverse Brexit.
He also made it clear that the Government may not reveal its final decisions on membership of the single market and customs union in order to keep its negotiating options open. Intervening on Mr Starmer, he said: “There may be several options and it might be in our negotiating interests to keep more than one of them open.
“Surely that does not necessarily require that we specify in detail any individual line of pursuit.” Veteran Tory
MP Sir Gerald Howarth said that in effect the Government had already published a Brexit plan.
He said: “This Government has set out that strategic vision with great clarity. We want to recover control of our borders, make our own laws, keep our own money, engage in free trade, and leave the European Union. What could be more strategic than that?”
Significant
Richard Tice, co-chairman of Leave Means Leave, said: “This vote is a very significant step forward in the Brexit process.
“Parliamentarians who backed the Government’s amendment have honoured the democratic decision taken by the British people in the EU referendum.
“Going forward, these Parliamentarians who voted with the Government must not sabotage the Brexit process. Any attempt to delay the process after backing this amendment would be an unforgivable betrayal of the British people.”
Last night a Ukip spokesman said: “We just want the Government to crack on with leaving the EU now.
“In this vote ministers have called Labour’s bluff and we should give them two cheers for that but we need to make sure that the Government now delivers Brexit.”
The vote came as the Supreme Court continued to deliberate over whether or not Parliament needs to pass a law to trigger Article 50.
If judges rule that a new law is needed, it is almost certain to pass as MPs now accept it will be very difficult for Parliament to reverse last night’s votes.
EVEN losing the most significant referendum in this country’s history has not been enough to prevent Brussels fanatics from interfering in the Government’s efforts to get us out of the EU. But whatever happens in the Supreme Court and however many objections are raised in Parliament this newspaper is still confident that the will of the people will be respected.
The Prime Minister herself backed Remain but has since accepted that her side lost. She has now embraced an optimistic vision of Britain’s future as a free nation. This is what it means to respect the referendum result and the Remoaners would be wise to follow her lead. MPs who refuse to back her stance cannot regard themselves as democrats. By plotting to thwart Brexit they are directly ignoring instructions given to them by voters. This is appalling conduct not befitting anybody with a seat in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords.
Britain needs to get out of the EU. That also means – as both sides clearly and repeatedly said during the referendum campaign – leaving the single market. And it needs to happen in line with the timetable Mrs May has drawn up.
This nation – unlike the EU itself – has a long and proud democratic tradition. Parliamentarians have a duty to uphold this principle, act on the wishes of voters and support Mrs May in her efforts. Remoaners still thinking of defying the people can rest assured that this newspaper will not give up until Brexit has been delivered.