Theresa May warns Remoaners to stop fighting Brexit saying Britain ‘voted to leave’ after SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon starts legal battle for Scottish vote
Most members of the Scottish Parliament do not want Britain to leave the EU
THERESA May yesterday tore into Remoaners and told them to stop refighting the EU campaign - saying Britain “voted to leave”.
It came as the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon waded into the bitter legal wrangle over the PM’s Brexit plans to demand the Scottish Parliament also get vote that could block our exit from the EU.
Scotland’s First Minister said her administration would be to try to intervene against the UK government’s bid to overturn a High Court ruling requiring it to secure the approval of MPs at Westminster before it triggers Article 50.
But most Members of the Scottish Parliament do not want Britain to leave the EU.
Last night the Supreme Court formally granted Downing Street leave to appeal against the ruling, with the hearing set for December 5.
The four day case will be heard by all 11 Supreme Court justices sitting together for the first time.
But their formal decision is unlikely to be published until the new year — just weeks ahead of Mrs May’s March deadline to formally trigger the two year exit process.
Yesterday the PM insisted the nation had to move on.
She said: “I think what we need to do now is not focus on what happened during the campaign.
“People voted on whether or not they wanted to leave the EU.
“They voted to leave the EU and what I’m focusing on now and what I’m determined to do is to deliver that and make a success of it.”
The blast came as the head of Lloyd’s of London - which campaigned to Remain- told the PM to invoke Article 50 as soon as possible.
John Nelson, the insurance market chairman, said he wanted Theresa May to “get cracking” given the uncertainty buffeting the UK.
He told the Evening Standard: “To be blunt with you, the longer the uncertainty goes on the worse it is for business.”
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Theresa May admitted the Brexit talks would be “complex” and there would be challenges ahead.
But she said: “I am optimistic but I am also determined, determined that we are going to get the best deal possible for the UK, determined to grasp the opportunities for global Britain that leaving the European Union gives us and making a success of our leaving the European Union.”
The blast came as the PM wrapped up a two day Brexit building trip to India in a bid to whip up business with the Asian superpower.
She insisted that the trip had proved businesses around the world are keen to boost links with Brexit Britain.
She visited airplane part maker Dynamatic Technologies’ Bangalore base in India today as the company celebrates a new £120 million contract with Airbus.
Mrs May said that during the visit companies on the trip had bagged £1 billion-worth of business.
She told Sky News: “What does that mean? It means more jobs, more investment in the UK, more trade for British businesses and that’s good for everyone.”
Last night Downing Street said the UK Government did have the authority to deliver Brexit.
Asked whether the PM thinks she needs Scotland’s consent to trigger Article 50, No 10 said: “We will wait and see what happens in terms of a Scottish Government application to intervene or not and what the decision of the Supreme Court is in the event that there is an application.
They added: “Clearly the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU and it is the UK government that will deliver on this.”
Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis said last night: “We are determined to get a deal that works for all the parts of the United Kingdom.”
Announcing that a new regional forum on the Brexit process will start today, Mr Davis added: “we are starting the formal process that ensures the devolved administrations play their role in delivering on the will of the British people and making the most of the opportunities that lie ahead.”