May’s refusal to give MPs a vote on final Brexit deal is a betrayal of voters – here’s why

Last Updated: December 20, 2016By

‘Who do you think you are, demanding a Parliamentary vote on Brexit?’ is what Theresa May seems to want to say. Either that or she has indigestion.

Let us be clear about this (as politicians like Theresa May love to suggest): The EU referendum on which we voted asked, simply, whether we wanted to remain in, or leave, the European Union.

It did not ask us whether we wanted a Conservative Government to negotiate the terms of that exit; it simply asked whether we wanted to leave.

After the narrow victory for those who wanted to leave, Mrs May’s government has betrayed the mandate this gave them – if anyone even agrees that the result was legally binding – by demanding the right to negotiate those terms.

The Supreme Court is currently considering whether the result is legally binding, or whether the High Court was right to say Parliament must vote in support of Brexit.

If the result is found to have been binding, Mrs May will be betraying the UK if she does not simply pull the UK out of the EU. That is the only demand the British public have made and anything else will be an unwarranted usurpation of power.

She would need to put her proposals before the judgement of Parliament in order for them to be seen as democratic.

If the result is not found to have been legally binding, then Mrs May must bring her proposals to Parliament in any case, and her refusal to commit to doing so will mean nothing…

Other than to prove she is a terrible snob who thinks she is not a public servant but the public should serve her – that the rest of us should shut up now and do as we’re told.

Theresa May has refused to commit to giving MPs a vote on the final Brexit deal struck by the government during two years of talks with representatives of the other 27 countries in the EU.

Appearing before a committee of senior MPs, the prime minister also suggested her government was prepared to agree to some form of transitional deal, largely to help avoid a “cliff edge” scenario for businesses after a UK exit.

She said she would make a speech early in 2017 to set out her latest position on Brexit, but would not indicate when exactly the government would bring forward a written plan before triggering article 50.

May was pushed repeatedly on the question of whether MPs would be given a vote at the end of the process, once the final deal has been agreed, but refused to offer any commitment on the issue.

Source: Theresa May indicates MPs will not be given vote on final Brexit deal | Politics | The Guardian

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4 Comments

  1. Barry Davies December 21, 2016 at 12:16 am - Reply

    The referendum despite what remain supporters claim was binding not advisory. The simple fact is we don’t need to trigger article 50 at all, and hopefully if the supreme court agrees with the high court, entirely likely, then we can simply revoke the european communities act , and we are out without all the article 50 BS and people like verhofstadt pretending he is all powerful.

    • Mike Sivier December 21, 2016 at 1:56 pm - Reply

      Where is your evidence that the referendum was binding?
      Even the man who wrote the legislation authorising the referendum said it was advisory.
      We do have to trigger Article 50 because any country leaving the EU must follow the procedure for doing so.

  2. Dan Delion December 21, 2016 at 12:30 am - Reply

    Don’t ever forget, she’s published no manifesto and has no mandate: she just seized Cameron’s part used parking ticket – a criminal offence under most Authorities – to get the key to No 10. She has no authority to act as a PM democratically voted into power by the UK electorate.

  3. Lin Wren December 21, 2016 at 12:42 pm - Reply

    Theresa May is acting like a dictator & as you have rightly pointed out we do not work for her. She is a public servant. Albeit a very bad one. The referendum was to leave or remain not negotiable to her terms. Every MP is working for the ppl & constituents. As much as some dont like the results it was carried. OUT. I stick by my vote. This will cause an uproar.

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