Yesterday, a historic judgement by the supreme court ruled that Prime Minister Theresa May must give parliament a vote on whether the United Kingdom should trigger article 50 to set in motion Brexit. Today, rebellious group of hard Brexit MPs from the Conservative Party have demanded that the Prime Minister open a dialogue with them.
'There's no going back'
David Davies, the Brexit secretary, stated that legislation for the bill will be published within the next couple of days to expedite the process. Davies said: 'Last year, this House voted six to one to let the voters have the final say on whether we should depart the European Union.
There is no going back now. The point of no return was passed on the 23rd June when Britain decided to leave the European Union.
Davies continued, warning MPs not to use the supreme court's judgement to 'thwart the will of the people'. Davies said: 'We will produce a straightforward bill which will end on the question of triggering article 50'. Fellow Brexit supporter Iain Duncan Smith urged Davies to make the bill as 'simple as possible'.
Since the supreme court made the decision, Westminster has moved quickly to respond. Davies' announcement that the bill will be placed in front of parliament in the next couple of days suggests that Theresa May's timeline-which places article 50 being triggered by the end of March-is still very much achievable.
Potential divisions within the Tories?
During today's PMQs, Theresa May revealed that the government will be publishing a white paper on Brexit. The paper is expected to outline some of the key goals of her strategy. Davies, though, described the Prime Minister's speech last week as a 'sufficient explanation of her strategy'.
Davies continued, making comments that implied a burgeoning division withing the Conservative Party: 'In negotiations, it is crucial to keep some of your cards close to your chest. There is noway to leave the EU without leaving the single market'.
The shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, echoed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's comments in regards to Brexit, stating that Labour will 'not frustrate the will of the people'.
Corbyn has discussed issuing a three-line whip to ensure Labour supports the popular vote. However, MPs from the Liberal Democrat Party and the SNP are expected to make a stance against a potential hard Brexit by voting against the triggering of article 50.
