This week’s Supreme Court decision confirms what many people who voted to leave the European Union wanted, for our sovereign Parliament to have the final say on matters of such significance to the future of our country – not Government Ministers on their own with no accountability or scrutiny.
It is no secret that I voted to stay in the EU and have not changed my view, but I accept the result of the referendum. As I said in my Huffington Post article a couple of months ago, it is not about if we leave the EU, but how. The referendum decided on Brexit, but it was silent on how best we can go about leaving the EU to achieve the kind of future we want for ourselves and our children. Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary, Sir Keir Starmer, is right to confirm that, as democrats respecting the referendum result, Labour won’t seek to frustrate the triggering of Article 50. However, it is our duty to ensure that the Government is held accountable as they pursue Brexit negotiations. Parliament must be able to scrutinise and, where appropriate, amend the Government’s plans in the weeks and months ahead.
