MPs from across parties prepared to vote against triggering Article 50

Westminster - Image credit: PA Images

MPs from across the House of Commons are prepared to vote against triggering Britain’s exit from the EU.

Liberal Democrat, Labour and SDLP MPs have told the BBC they would oppose the initiating of Article 50, which grants a two-year window for the UK to leave the EU.

Nicola Sturgeon has already said that SNP MPs would be unlikely to vote for Brexit.

Speaking at Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI) earlier this week, she said: “I can’t really foresee the circumstances where SNP MPs would vote to trigger Article 50, not because I want to thwart the will of people in England and Wales but because SNP MPs represent constituencies in Scotland and every single constituency in Scotland voted to remain.”

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Sturgeon also confirmed this week that the Lord Advocate will apply to intervene in in the UK Government’s Supreme Court appeal to put the case for the Scottish Parliament having a vote on triggering Article 50.

Judges at the High Court ruled that the UK Parliament must have a say on when the mechanism is triggered after the UK Government attempted to use royal prerogative to kick start Brexit.

The verdict is subject to a Government appeal at the Supreme Court beginning on 5 December.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said his party would oppose the initiating of Article 50, unless they were promised a second referendum on the deal the UK strikes with EU leaders.

"Article 50 would proceed but only if there is a referendum on the terms of the deal and if the British people are not respected then, yes, that is a red line and we would vote against the Government,” he told the Today programme.

Several Labour MPs have also expressed willingness to vote against the triggering of Article 50, despite the party’s policy being not to block it.

Among them include Helen Hayes, who said she was prepared to defy Labour whips to oppose the measure unless given assurances over a second referendum.

"I had somebody in my surgery last week who was in tears because of Brexit and I see genuine distress amongst my constituents about what this path means,” she said.

"I would not be representing them if I voted to trigger Article 50 on the basis of no information from the Government about the path that they would then take us on."

Shadow Foreign Office minister Catherine West has also said she would vote against it.

Speaking to the Today programme, former Labour leadership hopeful Owen Smith confirmed that if his bid for a second plebiscite on EU membership failed, he would probably oppose the bill.

But a bill on Article 50 is still expected to pass through the Commons comfortably with the backing of Tory MPs and support or abstention from Labour.

It could face difficulties in the House of Lords, where Labour and Liberal Democrat peers are reported to seek amendments, as will Tory peer Baroness Wheatcroft.

Labour confirmed on Monday that it would not seek to block Britain’s exit from the EU, after Jeremy Corbyn appeared to suggest his party could vote against triggering Article 50 if ministers did not meet his Brexit red lines.

Theresa May has said she would initiate the mechanism before the end of March next year, meaning the UK would no longer be a member of the EU by April 2019.