Theresa May tells rebel MPs they will be defying the ‘will of the people’ if they vote against a bid to kick-start Brexit
The PM has insisted that MPs voted overwhelmingly to hold last year's referendum
THERESA MAY last night told rebel MPs they will be defying the “will of the people” if they block a bid to kick-start Brexit over the next 48 hours.
On the eve of the launch of the Government’s Brexit Bill in the Commons, the Prime Minister insisted MPs had voted overwhelmingly to hold last year’s bombshell Referendum.
And she said it was up to Parliament to stand by that outcome when MPs are asked to give the power to trigger Article 50 – and formally begin EU divorce talks.
She said: “Parliament voted six to one to give the people the decision as to whether we should stay in the European Union, they have spoken in that vote.
“I hope when people look at the Article 50 bill they will recognise that it is a very simple decision – do they support the will of the British people or not.”
The blast came amid speculation more than 100 MPs will vote against the Brexit Bill – including the SNP’s 54 MPs, the Lib Dems and more than 40 from the Labour Party.
A vote is expected to come tomorrow night after two-days of debates in the Commons.
But worried Tory whips have ordered Ministers and Conservative MPs to remain in Parliament until midnight tonight in case an opposition party tries to catch out the Government with a sudden vote designed to block the entire bill.
One source said: “They fear there will be clever procedural way of coming at them and are worried they will get tripped up.”
The Supreme Court last week ruled the Government had to win the approval of MPs before it could invoke Article 50. If passed on Wednesday night, the Commons will have a further three days of debate next week where MPs can try and amend the Bill.
Ministers hope it will then go before the Lords and be cleared ready for Theresa May to formally severe ties with the EU by the middle of March.
The Prime Minister met with Nicola Sturgeon and the heads of the other devolved administrations yesterday for a summit over Brexit.
The Scottish First Minister that “time was running out” for a compromise that would allow Scotland a differentiated deal on Single Market membership.
But Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny last night said he was helping Mrs May to try and keep UK-EU trade as close as possible.
He said: “Our two governments are agreed that a close and friction-free economic and trading relationship between the United Kingdom and European Union, including Ireland, is in our very best interests.”
In a statement last night David Davis insisted Parliament was committed to giving Parliament enough time to consider and debate the Brexit Bill.
But he said: “It is not a Bill about whether or not the UK should leave the EU, or how it should do so.
“It is simply about implementing a decision already made, a point of no return already passed. We asked the people of the UK if they wanted to leave the EU; they decided they did.”