The Prime Minister is expected to tell the EU council President Jean-Claude Juncker that Brexit will go ahead as planned, despite a major court ruling setback.
Theresa May is set to telephone Mr Juncker to inform him that she still intends to stick to her proposed March 2017 deadline for triggering Article 50 and exiting the European Union.
The Government was dealt with its first significant Brexit-related setback on Thursday, as three judges from a UK high Court ruled that prior to the enacting of Article 50 a parliamentary debate must go ahead.
Thursday’s High Court decision ruled that the government could not trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty without Parliamentary support. Such an parliamentary confirmation will require the drafting of legislation to be debated by the Commons and the Lords.
Somewhat ironically, the government has said it intends to additionally challenge the decision at the European High Courts should it prove necessary. The government has also stated it will challenge the judgment in an appeal expected to be delivered in December in the presence of all 11 Justices, an unprecedented event in the courts history since its formation. The government has suggested that it is ultimately entitled to enact ancient prerogative powers in order to deliver “the will of the people”.
Various senior Tories have welcomed the ruling as a boost to parliamentary sovereignty, despite the fact it may delay the deliverance of Brexit. Most recently, Stephen Phillips QC announced his resignation on Friday morning over “irreconcilable policy differences with the current Government” regarding the matter.
Conversely, many pro-Brexit politicians have been highly critical of the court’s ruling, with former UKIP leader Nigel Farage refer commenting in a piece in the Daily Telegraph:
“The power of the prime minister to act on the mandate given by 17.4 million voters has been snatched away.”
He continued, stating that “the establishment better be ready for the colossal electoral consequences that will follow” should attempts to challenge Brexit continue.
Whilst it remains unlikely that MP’s will choose to go against the will of the people and their constituents, MP’s will no doubt attempt to influence Government negotiations regarding the finepoints of Brexit, such as debating access to the single market.