Theresa May could face fresh legal challenge if she fails to let Lords vote on triggering Brexit negotiations
Gina Miller, the businesswoman spearheading the Supreme Court case aimed at preventing the PM starting the process of leaving without a vote in parliament has said there must be a 'proper debate' in the House of Lords
THERESA May could face a new legal challenge to Brexit if she doesn't let Lords vote before triggering Article 50.
Gina Miller, the businesswoman spearheading the Supreme Court case aimed at preventing the PM starting the process of leaving without a vote in parliament has said there must be a "proper debate" in the House of Lords.
The anti-Brexit campaigner said if she wins her case the Government will have to pass bills through both houses of parliament.
Brexiteers remain concerned Lords could use the vote as a means to delaying the Prime Ministers plans to trigger Article 50 by the end of March next year.
The Government is braced to put back all other parliamentary business and have all night sittings should it lose the Supreme Court case, the result of which is expected in January.
"If they don’t [table legislation] they will be in contempt of court. We would go back to the Supreme court.”
New research by the Change Britain campaign showed that a huge £24 billion a year prize is up for grabs if Theresa May rejects a so called “soft Brexit”.
Their option – which it describes as “clean Brexit” – could see annual savings of almost £10.4 billion from contributions to the EU budget and £1.2 billion from scrapping “burdensome” regulations, while also allowing the UK to forge new trade deals worth at least £12.3 billion.
But a “soft Brexit” would see Britain continue to stay in the EU’s single market and customs union so forced to pay into the EU budget and unable to end freedom of movement.
The group said its estimate was “very conservative” and that the benefits of withdrawal from the single market and customs union could be as much as £38.6 billion a year.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “The country voted to leave the European Union in a referendum provided for by an Act of Parliament.
“We are determined to respect the will of the British people and intend to trigger Article 50 by the end of March next year.
"We will respond to the Supreme Court judgement when it is delivered."
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