The prime minister says she is confident of overturning court ruling that parliamentary approval is required to leave EU

Parliament must accept that Britain’s vote to leave the European Union was legitimate and let the government get on with delivering Brexit, prime minister Theresa May said on Sunday.

May has said she is confident of overturning a British court ruling that the government needs parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the EU.

The government, which has given little away about its plans for Britain’s future relationship with the EU, has said that having to set out a detailed negotiating strategy to parliament would put it at a disadvantage in talks with the bloc.

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“While others seek to tie our negotiating hands, the government will get on with the job of delivering the decision of the British people,” May said in a statement ahead of her first trade trip to India on Sunday.

“It was MPs who overwhelmingly decided to put the decision in their hands. The result was clear. It was legitimate. MPs and peers who regret the referendum result need to accept what the people decided.”

May will use her first bilateral trade trip since taking office to try to boost ties with India before Britain leaves the EU and to pave the way for a free trade deal as soon as possible once Brexit is completed.

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Parliament could in theory block Brexit as most members supported staying in the EU in June’s referendum, although it is unlikely to do so. The ruling could allow lawmakers to temper the government’s approach, however, making a “hard Brexit” – where tight controls on immigration are prioritised over remaining in the European single market – less likely.

A government appeal against the high court ruling is expected to be considered by Britain’s supreme court early next month. May has said she still plans to launch talks on the terms of Brexit by the end of March.

“We need to turn our minds to how we get the best outcome for our country,” she said.

“That means sticking to our plan and timetable, getting on with the work of developing our negotiating strategy and not putting all our cards on the table – that is not in our national interest and it won’t help us get the best deal for Britain.”</s>Comes after London HC ruled that she did not have the right to use her executive power to trigger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon treaty.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday called on British MPs to accept people’s verdict favouring UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) and work on delivering Brexit, days after a High Court ruled that a parliamentary approval is mandatory to trigger the proceedings.

In a statement issued before she left for her India visit, Ms. May said: “While others seek to tie our negotiating hands, the government will get on with the job of delivering the decision of the British people.

“It was MPs who overwhelmingly decided to put the decision in their hands. The result was clear. It was legitimate. MPs and peers who regret the referendum result need to accept what the people decided,” she said.

Her comments came three days after the London High Court ruled that the Prime Minister did not have the right to use her executive power to trigger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon treaty.

Ms. May has however said she is confident of winning an appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court ruling.

The government appeal against the High Court verdict is expected to be considered by the Supreme Court early next month.

Ms. May has said she still plans to launch talks on the terms of Brexit by the end of March 2017.

“We need to turn our minds to how we get the best outcome for our country,” she said.

“That means sticking to our plan and timetable, getting on with the work of developing our negotiating strategy and not putting all our cards on the table — that is not in our national interest and it won’t help us get the best deal for Britain,” she added.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he will not seek to reverse the referendum result.

But, he told the Sunday Mirror that he would vote against Article 50 unless Ms. May agreed to press for continued access to the European single market and guarantee EU workplace rights after Brexit.

“We are not challenging the referendum. We are not calling for a second referendum. We’re calling for market access for British industry to Europe,” he said.</s>British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday she would deliver a full exit from the European Union, hitting back at critics of her Brexit strategy who have threatened to try to block the process in parliament.

The government’s plans to begin a two-year divorce process by the end of March were thrown into disarray last week when a court ruled that parliament must be consulted on the decision. May has said she is confident of overturning that ruling.

Nevertheless, the prospect of a parliamentary vote has enraged eurosceptic lawmakers who fear the “hard Brexit” they want will be watered down, and emboldened political opponents who want a less radical split from the bloc.

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Writing in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Ms. May signalled she would resist any attempt to force her to change her approach to leaving the EU, a break that was approved by 52 per cent of Britons in a referendum in June.

“The people made their choice, and did so decisively. It is the responsibility of the government to get on with the job and to carry out their instruction in full,” Ms. May wrote.

She said revealing her strategy for the talks would weaken Britain’s negotiating position and that members of parliament who regretted the referendum result “need to accept what the people decided.”

The Daily Mirror reported the head of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, had said he would vote against the commencement of divorce talks with the EU if the government does not agree to his Brexit demands.

He later tweeted that he would not try to block the process.

Ms. May’s government, which has given little away about its plans for Britain’s future relationship with the EU, has said that having to set out a detailed negotiating strategy to parliament would put it at a disadvantage in the talks.

“While others seek to tie our negotiating hands, the government will get on with the job of delivering the decision of the British people,” Ms. May said in a separate statement before leaving on a trade visit to India on Sunday.

The court ruling triggered an angry response from some lawmakers and newspapers, with minister Sajid Javid calling it an “unacceptable” attempt to “frustrate the will of the British people”, while The Daily Mail said the three judges who handed down the ruling were “enemies of the people.”

Ms. May said she believed in the value of the independence of the judiciary, as well as a free press.

“These both underpin our democracy and they are important,” she told reporters on the plane to India.

Arch-eurosceptic Nigel Farage, who led the influential UK Independence Party’s Brexit campaign, said there was a growing movement to keep Britain within the EU’s tariff-free single market – a scenario he called a “half-Brexit” that went against the referendum result.

“If the people in this country think that they’re going to be cheated, they’re going to be betrayed, then we will see political anger the likes of which none of us in our lifetimes have ever witnessed in this country,” he told the BBC.

Parliament could in theory block Brexit because most members supported staying in the EU in June’s referendum. But many lawmakers have signalled they would be willing to reverse their position to reflect the referendum result.

“I think it is highly unlikely that parliament would not, in the end, back a decision to trigger Article 50,” health minister Jeremy Hunt told the BBC, referring to the EU treaty mechanism for beginning the process of leaving.

Last week’s court ruling could allow lawmakers to temper the government’s approach, however, making a “hard Brexit” – where tight controls on immigration get priority over remaining in the single market – less likely.

Mr. Corbyn told the Sunday Mirror that Labour’s “Brexit bottom line” would require guarantees for access to the single market for exporters, continued protection of workers’ rights, safeguards for consumers and the environment, and pledges that Britain would make up any loss of EU capital investment.

Mr. Corbyn said he would welcome an early national election if Ms. May refused to meet his demands but later toned down his position on any parliamentary vote, tweeting: “We won’t block Article 50 but will fight for a Brexit that works for Britain.”

The next national election is not due until 2020, and the government has so far resisted pressure to dissolve parliament and seek a stronger mandate.

“I think a general election is frankly the last thing that the government wants ... It’s the last thing that the British people want,” Mr. Hunt said.

A government appeal against the High Court ruling is expected to be considered by Britain’s Supreme Court early next month. Ms. May has said she still plans to invoke Article 50 by the end of March.

The lead claimant in the High Court case, Gina Miller, said on Sunday that Scotland – which voted to remain in the EU in the referendum – was likely to join the case as it goes to the Supreme Court. However, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it had not yet decided to take part.</s>(CNN) "Enemies of the People" -- that was the headline splashed across Britain's Daily Mail the morning after Thursday's Brexit bombshell.

For newspapers in Europe, reaction was more muted.

The UK High Court's ruling that lawmakers should vote on whether the government begins the formal Brexit process barely made the headlines in German newspapers.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Theresa May made calls to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Holland and European Union Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker.

"The Prime Minister also confirmed that the Government's planned timetable for notification of Article 50 remains unchanged."

"The President explicitly stressed that he respects the legal order and constitutional order of the UK.

"This is now a British affair."

EU leaders, it appeared on Friday, are content to sit back and watch Britain's legal scramble.

Publicly, at least, no one appeared worried about how or when Britain exits the Union.

In Berlin, Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson -- a leading Brexit campaigner -- also downplayed the High Court's ruling.

"I wouldn't really read too much into the legal challenges," Johnson said.

"The British people voted to leave the European Union. I do not think it will interfere with the timetable for that process."

When asked what the German preferred outcome would be, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier quipped: "I would have preferred a different outcome to the British referendum."

While the British government deals with court challenges, the EU has been assembling a formidable negotiating team for Brexit.

French federalist and chief negotiator Michel Barnier immediately embarked on a tour of all the remaining 27 EU states, diving into the back-room talks necessary to keep the EU united and in line before Article 50 is invoked.

He also swiftly installed Sabine Weyand -- a senior German negotiator and seasoned veteran of many EU trade deals -- as his deputy.

Rumors quickly spread that Barnier would demand Brexit negotiations in French, not English.

He swiftly batted speculation away by tweeting that he speaks both languages fluently and the official language of talks would be determined at the beginning of negotiations.

But Barnier is not beyond teasing his British counterparts. He recently tweeted a photo from his EU tour in front of the Museum of Broken Relationships.

However, behind the seemingly cool facade of EU leaders there is worry and concern about the negative impact of Brexit on the EU.

This week, the German Council of Economic Experts handed Merkel a report that urged the Chancellor to negotiate a deal that limited the damage of Brexit.

It also stated, perhaps hopefully, that "Brexit can still be prevented."</s>LONDON (AP) — The British government plans to spell out in Parliament its response to a court setback to its Brexit plans.

Brexit Secretary David Davis is making a statement Monday in the House of Commons to explain how the government plans to proceed.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan to start formally separating Britain from the European Union by April has been thrown into disarray by a High Court ruling last week that requires her to seek Parliament’s approval first. Davis has said this means an Act of Parliament is required. Others have said a simple resolution in Parliament would suffice.

Opposition figures are demanding that May tell Parliament what her negotiating strategy will be during talks with the 28-nation bloc.

British voters in a June 23 referendum chose to withdraw from the EU.</s>Scotland’s Brexit minister has warned that a “huge political force” will be unleashed if MSPs refuse to give consent for leaving the EU – but the UK Government “bulldoze” ahead with it anyway.

Mike Russell said it was possible that judges could rule that Holyrood would have to agree to Brexit before it could happen.

He added: “It would be completely unchartered if the Scottish Parliament refused legislative consent and the UK Government said, ‘Well it doesn’t matter, we’re going to do it anyway.’
• Brexit blow as court slaps down Government bid to bypass Parliament and trigger Euro exit

“The people of Scotland would draw their own conclusions in a situation in which there was no partnership, no 

 agreement between the two nations, but a contempt for the legislative process and the view of Scotland.

High Court judges ruled on Thursday that Parliament should vote on when the Government could trigger Article 50 – the mechanism for leaving the EU. Prime Minister Theresa May intends to appeal against the decision.

Russell is due for more talks with UK Brexit Minister David Davis this week.

He said the Scottish Government are still deciding whether to become a participant in the legal appeal against the court ruling.

Russell said he cannot imagine any circumstances where the SNP’s 54 MPs would vote in favour of triggering Article 50, giving that most people who voted in Scotland in the referendum wanted to stay in the EU.
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He added: “We don’t know the UK position, so it is possible there could be a complete capitulation on all the positions they have held up to now.

“I think it would be very difficult to imagine what that would be.”</s>(CNN) Before Thursday, the process for triggering Brexit was a lot more straightforward.

But the High Court's bombshell ruling means Prime Minister Theresa May's government cannot begin the formal process of taking the UK out of the European Union until it gets the approval of parliament.

The government has vowed to appeal the ruling and the Supreme Court is likely to hear the case in early December.

If that bid is unsuccessful, here's how Britain's exit from Europe could be slowed down.

Firstly, MPs need to approve a new bill...

The government must draft a Brexit bill for parliament to vote on -- and the process could take anywhere from a few weeks to much longer.

Once a bill is drafted it will be presented to the Members of Parliament in the House of Commons for a first read-through and a debate.

Then there will be a second reading, more debating, and the draft will be handed to smaller sub-committee of MPs for more scrutiny.

"The committee will then go through the bill line by line, suggesting, debating, and voting on amendments," former Scottish Labour Party MP and Leave campaigner Tom Harris explained to CNN.

"That process could take around three or four months. But politically, I doubt they'll want it to take too long."

Next there will be a third reading, yet more debating, and if everyone is happy, the bill will be passed to the House of Lords -- where the process starts all over again.

...then the House of Lords have to give it the OK

The House of Lords has similar process of going through a bill to the House of Commons. However there will be no sub-committee, and unlike MPs, Lords are not elected by the public.

"The Lords have no accountability to constituents at all, which is both a strength and a weakness," said Harris.

"In this case, they will need to decide whether to honor the will of the British people in the referendum -- and I suspect they will."

If the Lords make any amendments to the bill, it will then head back to the House of Commons -- adding more time to the process.

What about the politicians who backed Remain?

Added to this potential game of ping pong between the two houses are the MPs who campaigned to remain in the EU.

While it's unlikely that enough MPs will vote against triggering Article 50 to stop Brexit altogether, there may be lengthy wrangling over a bill that pleases everyone, said Matthew Goodwin, professor of politics and international relations at the University of Kent.

"There could potentially be further delays, particularly as Labour, the Scottish National Party, and Liberal Democrat MPs are demanding more detail on the proposed Brexit deal," he told CNN.

"Though overall, 421 seats in England and Wales voted for Brexit, so for MPs to push against the popular vote would be political suicide. "

Then there's the Scottish MPs to consider.

Could it also pave the way for more successful cases against the government?

Harris says that while more legal challenges could arise, it's unlikely the courts would rule in favor of them.

"I think now it makes it more difficult for individual legal cases to succeed, because the courts would have taken the view that parliament has already been given a say on the matter," said Harris.

"So in that respect, perhaps the high court has even done the government a favor."

Whether May agrees with him, is another matter.</s>Theresa May’s commitment to protect workers’ rights after Brexit has come into question before a House of Commons debate on the impact leaving the EU will have on employment laws.

The prime minister made a pledge to stick to EU protections such as guarantees of paid holiday, maternity and paternity rights and time off in between shifts. But an examination of her past statements on workers’ rights reveals that she repeatedly attacked the then Labour government’s decision to sign up to the EU’s social chapter when the Conservatives were in opposition.

Proposals arising out of the social chapter included rights for pregnant women to get 14 weeks’ statutory leave at sick pay rates, the 48-hour maximum working week and equal employment rights for part-time temporary staff who work at least eight hours a week.

In a column for ConservativeHome in 2007, May suggested Labour’s decision to sign up to the EU’s social chapter and domestic laws was a sign of their weakness in caving in to trade unions.

“Unbelievably, for the government that gave the unions the social chapter, several employment relations acts, new union rights, a cop-out on public sector pensions, the Warwick agreement, and the union modernisation fund, some journalists are still prepared to say that, these days, Labour stands up to the unions,” she wrote.

Several times in the House of Commons, May also spoke out against aspects of the EU’s social chapter, such as the part-time workers’ directive, saying it was a burden to business and cost jobs.

In 1999, as shadow leader of the Commons, May claimed women’s jobs were “under threat from the government’s adherence to the social chapter and handling of the economy”.

May promised at the Conservative party conference that all workers’ rights enshrined in EU law would be transferred into British law, with a “great repeal bill” that would simply duplicate all protections.

However, Labour has suspicions that the government may try to wriggle out of some aspects, such as the working time directive which is particularly disliked by many Conservative MPs.

Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, stressed that preserving workers’ rights would be a “bottom line” for May to get his party’s support for triggering article 50, which now looks likely to have to be approved by parliament after a landmark legal judgment.

However, it is still possible that the Conservatives could try to unpick some workers’ rights after they have been enshrined in the great repeal bill at a later date.

Some Conservative MPs, including former party chairman Grant Shapps, have raised the idea of a “sunset clause” in the great repeal bill, meaning all EU law would expire unless it has been specifically endorsed anew by the government.

In answers to parliamentary questions submitted by Matthew Pennycook, the shadow Brexit minister, the government already appears to have watered down its commitment to replicate EU employment protections, only promising to do so “wherever practical”.

Labour is expected to raise May’s past statements on workers’ rights at the parliamentary debate on the EU and employment law on Monday. It is the first in a series of Commons debates on elements of Brexit after the government bowed to the demands from MPs for greater scrutiny of the negotiations.

Pennycook said: “Despite the prime minister’s warm words, British workers will struggle to shake the suspicion that her stated commitment to preserving their rights at work is merely cosmetic.

“Amidst the government’s Brexit chaos, the prime minister owes it to the working people of Britain to set out precisely how existing workers’ legal rights will be guaranteed in law once we have left the EU.”

Melanie Onn, the Labour MP for Grimsby who has tried to introduce a private members’ bill to protect workers rights post-Brexit, also raised concerns that the government may try to chip away at employment protections after the UK has left the EU.

“I suspect there will be an incremental loss over a period of time. A lot of rights are currently covered by EU law. The things I think will be particularly vulnerable are around situations in redundancies, protection against discrimination, health and safety regulation and working-time rights,” she said.

Onn also highlighted May’s position when the government under David Cameron introduced fees for employment tribunals, which has led to a dramatic decline in the number of claims of discrimination by employees against businesses.

There are also questions over whether employment case law from the European courts will be taken into account by British courts after the UK leaves the EU.

The official leave campaign attacked a variety of employment laws emanating from the EU before the referendum. Priti Patel, then part of the Vote Leave campaign and now one of May’s cabinet ministers, attacked the cost of EU social and employment law for businesses.

“If we could just halve the burdens of the EU social and employment legislation we could deliver a £4.3bn boost to our economy and 60,000 new jobs,” she claimed in May.

“This government’s commitment to building a country that works for everyone means we will maintain and enhance workers’ rights as we leave the EU,” he said.

“The process is straightforward: at the point of exit we will transfer the body of EU law into domestic legislation including all the protection provided for workers. The prime minister and secretary of state for leaving the EU have been absolutely clear about that.

“The fact that Labour is spending its time trying to pretend something different shows it is just trying to find excuses to undermine and thwart the referendum result. Only the Conservatives can be trusted to respect the result and work to make a success of it for workers and businesses.”</s>Jeremy Corbyn will force Theresa May to hold an election in the spring unless she caves in to his Brexit demands on trade and worker rights.

In an exclusive Sunday Mirror interview, the Labour leader said he will only let the PM trigger EU negotiations in a Commons vote if she agrees to Labour’s “Brexit bottom line”.

He said: “Sorry, but we live in a democracy and the Government has to be responsive to Parliament. It’s not my timetable so it’s up to her to respond.”
• No watering down of EU workplace rights.
• Guarantees on safeguarding consumers and the environment.
• Pledges on Britain picking up the tab for any EU capital investment lost by Brexit

The PM wanted to trigger Article 50, which formally begins the process of Britain leaving the EU, without Parliamentary approval.

But on Thursday, three High Court judges ruled that was unlawful and Mrs May must allow MPs and peers to vote.

That could scupper her timetable and throw Brexit into chaos.

The Supreme Court will now hear a Government appeal next month.

If it upholds the High Court ruling, “Remain” MPs will try to add conditions on leaving the EU before negotiations start.

Mr Corbyn said Labour would vote against Mrs May unless she adopted the “Brexit bottom lines”.

He added: “These must be the basis of the negotiations. And it doesn’t necessarily cause a delay.

“The court has thrown a big spanner in the works by saying Parliament must be consulted. We accept the result of the referendum.

“We are not challenging the referendum. We are not calling for a second referendum. We’re calling for market access for British industry to Europe.”

But if Mr Corbyn, other parties and Tory Remainers gang up on her, the PM would be left with little choice but to call a General Election in order to get her own way.

The Tories have an overall majority of just 12.

But Mrs May’s own rebel MPs could be joined in a united force against her by Labour’s 231 members, the 54 Scot Nats and eight Liberal Democrats.
• Tory minister Liz Truss FINALLY breaks silence over Brexit ruling backlash but fails to condemn abuse of judges

Mr Corbyn is looking forward to the prospect of the country going to the polls.

He said: “If the Government calls an election we’re ready for it.

“We have the members, the organisation and the enthusiasm. We welcome the challenge.

“It would give us the chance to put before the British people an alternative economic strategy for this country.”

Mr Corbyn revealed his manifesto will include a minimum wage of £10 by 2020 – making the average family £440 better off than under Tory plans.

He said that would save money by cutting the bill for housing benefits and working tax credits which top up wages.

Mr Corbyn was furious with the way the High Court judges were branded “enemies of the people” over their Brexit ruling.

He said: “The language used was disgraceful, sinister and very, very dangerous.” The judges came in for heavy criticism from “Leavers” and hardline sections of the Press which backed Brexit .

Addressing the controversy today, Justice Secretary Liz Truss said: “The independence of the judiciary is the foundation upon which our rule of law is built and our judiciary is respected the world over for its independence and impartiality.”

Mr Corbyn said Mrs May could still meet her Brexit deadline if she accepted Labour’s demands. He added: “She has set a timetable that can easily be achieved.

“She just has to set out the negotiating basis which she refuses to do.

“I would have set out very quickly the relationship with Europe.

“It would have stemmed the run on the Pound if we had made clear we wanted to maintain market access to Europe.”

Mr Corbyn was supportive of the Sunday Mirror’s campaign to save the Syrian children of Aleppo

He said: “It’s completely wrong and unnecessary. There has to be a cessation of the bombing by the Russians and anyone else. The people of Aleppo have suffered like no one else for so long. There has to be a political solution.”

Asked directly if he would condemn Russian president Vladimir Putin if he resumes bombing Mr Corbyn said: “Yes.”

And he added: “I condemn the bombing”</s>FILE - This is a Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016 file photo of Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a press statement with Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos at 10 Downing Street in London. May sought Friday to reassure European Union leaders that her timetable for Britain to leave the EU remains intact despite a court ruling requiring lawmakers to have more of a say in the next step towards Brexit.

LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May has shrugged off an adverse court ruling on her government's plans to leave the European Union and maintains that Brexit will be carried out in full.

She used a Sunday Telegraph column to say her government will "get on with the job" despite a High Court ruling requiring her to seek parliamentary approval before triggering the exit process. May says the government hopes to win a reversal of that decision before the Supreme Court because an important principle is at stake.

She says Parliament voted to put the decision on EU membership "in the hands of the people" in the June 23 referendum, the vote was decisive in favor of leaving the 28-nation bloc and that choice must be respected.

Brexit offers a "great national opportunity" to "forge a bold, confident global future for Britain," said May, who spoke out in favor of staying within the EU during the hard-fought referendum campaign.

She was travelling to India on Sunday with a delegation of business leaders to conduct her first trade mission as prime minister in order to emphasize the importance of "the relationships we have with our friends and allies overseas."

Despite May's optimism, the High Court ruling risks delaying the Brexit process that May has pledged to formally begin by the end of March.

Some in Parliament are pressuring her to spell out Britain's negotiating position before Parliament, which she refuses to do.

May's plan to invoke Article 50 to formally begin the divorce from the EU before April is almost certain to be opposed in Parliament by Scottish National Party lawmakers, Scotland's Brexit minister said Sunday. Unlike much of the UK, Scottish voters expressed a preference for staying inside the EU.

Michael Russell said the pro-independence party with 54 members in Parliament has a strong mandate to protect Scotland's place in the EU, which could justify blocking the government's plans.

He said his party believes that keeping Britain inside Europe's single market of over 500 million people must be a top priority of any Brexit negotiations.

"At the very least, membership of the single market must be paramount in our position," he said.

U.K. Independence Party acting leader Nigel Farage said Sunday there's a risk of unrest if British voters feel their will is being thwarted by lawmakers.

"Believe you me, if the people in this country think they're going to be cheated, they're going to be betrayed, then we will see political anger the likes of which none of us in our lifetimes have ever witnessed," he told BBC interviewer Andrew Marr.
British Prime Minister Theresa May says the House of Commons must accept Brexit.