MPs react to Brexit vote court ruling

Three High Court judges have ruled Prime Minister Theresa May cannot invoke Article 50 – to start formal exit negotiations with the EU – without there being a vote in Parliament.

The Government has appealed the decision, with an outcome expected next month.

Voters in Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre voted to leave the EU following the June 23 referendum.

MP Gordon Marsden at his office in South Shore.

Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP Paul Maynard, who backed the Leave campaign, said: “Naturally I will support the implementation of Article 50.

“Not only did I vote to leave the European Union, I recognise my constituents also voted by a clear majority to leave, and the country also voted to leave.

“I am sure Parliament will respect the will of the British people in this matter.”

Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden supported the Remain campaign but said bringing Article 50 before Parliament was about giving MPs chance to scrutinise the exit process rather than reversing the outcome of the referendum.

Cat Smith, MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood.

He said: “There are a lot of questions to ask, such as what is going to happen to European funding, what is going to happen to the free market?

“Blackpool will be profoundly affected by Brexit in terms of things like funding and tourism.

“So I want to have some confidence that Government has a strategy and we need to discuss this in Parliament.

“This vote is not about reversing Brexit or reversing the process, it is about calling the Government to account.”

Fleetwood and Lancaster MP Cat Smith said although Labour had campaigned to remain, the party respected the outcome of the referendum.

She said: “We are not attempting to stop the will of the people being heard, but there has to be transparency in terms of the process.

“The decision to bring Article 50 to Parliament has been made by three judges, independent of politics.

“When we held the referendum, we told people the outcome would be binding, and we can’t go back on that.”

UKIP North West Euro MP Paul Nuttall warned MPs “should not try to use this to defy the decision of the British people.”

He added: “The decision to leave the EU was made by the majority of voters in this country and as we live in a democracy, means this must be enacted.

“We always knew there would be hurdles before we can finally shake off the shackles of the EU and the role of UKIP is to hold the Government’s feet to the fire and make sure the will of the people is obeyed.”