Brexit legal challenge live: MPs don't actually want to vote on Article 50, government lawyer claims
The appeal against MPs voting on Article 50 is now in its second day
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Your support makes all the difference.Here are the latest updates:
- Theresa May performs U-turn and now will reveal Brexit plans before Article 50 vote
- Government rejected an opportunity to make EU referendum legally binding, lawyer claims
- MPs don't actually want to vote on Article 50, government lawyer claims
- Judges accuse the Government's lawyer of contradicting himself "twice in five minutes"
- Amber Rudd reveals EU citizens living in Britain will need identity cards after Brexit
- EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier says Brexit deal could be reached by October 2018
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The Supreme Court is today hearing the second day of arguments in the Brexit legal challenge.
11 of the most senior judges in the UK are hearing the government's appeal to a High Court ruling that Theresa May must let MPs vote on whether to trigger Article 50.
Yesterday, the court heard from government lawyer James Eadie QC and Attorney General Jeremy Wright. The lawyers argued the Prime Minister has authority to trigger the mechanism and begin EU withdrawal processes.
However, the judges questioned why more details haven't been provided about what will be in the Great Repeal Bill, the legislation through which the government intends to legislate for life outside the EU.
The judges also said serious threats have been made to claimants in the case and warned they must be stopped.
The case is expected to last four days in total, ending on Thursday.
"There was an opposition debate in October and an opposition debate set down for Wednesday"
At no point has primary legislation been proposed by MPs in parliament on Brexit, Eadie says
Govt lawyer arguing MPs don't actually want Article 50 vote "Parliament does not seem to want the obligation the court has thrust upon them"
"The courts will be posing a new control of a most contentious kind" if it rules Theresa May doesn't have power to trigger A50 alone- Eadie
James Eadie QC has now finished putting his case on behalf of the government
Now up is Lord Keen QC, Advocate General for Scotland, also representing the government
He's expected to spend the next hour or so discussing how Brexit and Article 50 will impact on the devolved regions of the UK
Of course, as we know, a majority of people in the UK as a whole voted for Brexit, but Scotland and Northern Ireland did not
In addition, as Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland have their own devolved parliaments, if Theresa May triggers Article 50 she bypasses them
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