Conservative British parliamentarian Stephen Phillips has resigned his seat due to reported policy differences with Theresa May and her handling of Brexit. Despite being pro-Brexit, Phillips claimed government ministers under May’s premiership had ignored Parliament.
The resignation comes as Downing Street said it is appealing Thursday’s High Court ruling that the government needs approval from Parliament before triggering Article 50 which would formally begin exit negotiations with the European Union (EU). The appeal is set to go before the Supreme Court in December.
On Friday, May told European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and German Chancellor Angela Merkel that she still plans to trigger Article 50 by next March.
However, if the government’s appeal does not go through, there is the possibility that parliamentarians – many of whom are opposed to Brexit – could vote to remain in the EU.
Another possible scenario is that pro-European parliamentarians use the High Court ruling to demand concessions on the terms of Brexit. This could, in turn, create a lenghthy parliamentary process that would delay the start of exit negotiations with the EU.
Ultimately, May could call an early general election, in the hope of getting a more pro-Brexit parliament.
For more on the origins of Brexit, see The Cipher Brief’s reporting from early June. For more on the implications of when – indeed, if – Britain leaves the EU, see this Cipher Brief report.
Kaitlin Lavinder is a reporter at The Cipher Brief. Follow her on Twitter @KaitLavinder.
