James O'Brien unleashes tirade at government after Brexit High Court ruling

James O’Brien has suggested the Government did not understand parliamentary sovereignty after the High Court ruled Theresa May must get parliamentary approval in order to trigger Article 50 so that the UK can leave the European Union.

Three judges ruled in favour of a challenge brought by businesswoman Gina Miller that Prime Minister Theresa May does not have the right to use the Royal Prerogative to involve Article 50 without involving parliament. The Government immediately confirmed it would challenge the ruling leading to speculation that, ironically, the case could end up being referred to the European Courts of Justice.

O’Brien began his impassioned monologue by taking aim at the Prime Minister’s frequently heard expression “Brexit means Brexit”, saying she even got that wrong.

“The idea that she could trigger it, using the Royal Prerogative, without talking to our sovereign, elected, democratic parliament, the seat of democracy in this country. She even got that wrong,” he told listeners during his LBC phone-in show.

O’Brien said the judgement reveals prominent Leave campaigners and members of the Government, who have pledged that the UK is on track to leave following the referendum in June, “could not even come up with a fatuous slogan to describe what was going to happen next, without effectively breaking the law of the land or acting in direct contravention of the law”.

The radio presenter said the crucial part of today’s ruling was the recognition that parliamentary sovereignty must be upheld and mocked MPs for seemingly not understanding the premise on which the British political system is built.

“Just when you think our country cannot get any more bonkers we discover that all the people who have been bleating about parliamentary sovereignty for the whole of 2016 don’t know what it means. These ludicrous belches about sovereignty and control [have been] coming from people who actually don’t know what it means.”

O’Brien says the verdict reminds Ms May that “parliamentary sovereignty, democracy demands that the people we elect to run our country and scrutinise the government have the final say on what the country does.”

The Newsnight host also had a message for Leave voters who are upset or angered by the High Court's decision by questioning how they can be assured they voted fully informed of all the facts by believing the referendum alone was enough to trigger Article 50.

“If you’re still clinging to the notion that you voted to leave the European Union in possession of anything that remotely resembles the facts, well I can’t help you, you need to listen to something else. Go and put on some propagandist, because if you think you voted in possession of truth, honesty and facts then you’re a banana, whether you’re a bent one or a straight one is a conversation for another day.”

Brexit has been a hot topic on O’Brien’s phone-in show. The presenter was recently left with his head in his hands when one caller thrilled the UK now has “control of our own laws” failed to name a single EU law he was so keen to be rid of.