EDINBURGH (Sputnik) — In June UK voters decided in a referendum to leave the bloc, but campaigners who oppose Brexit brought a legal case against the UK Government seeking to have new legislation voted on by lawmakers before the UK Government moves to trigger Article 50, the mechanism that formally begins the UK withdrawal from the European trading bloc.
“After today’s High Court judgement in London the government’s Brexit strategy, such as it is, is in tatters. It’s time that Theresa May got to grips with the reality of Brexit instead of wishing away the difficulties,” Carmichael said.
In a separate development Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, the UK diplomat who drafted the Article 50 clause as part of the 2007 Lisbon Treaty, told the BBC that the UK could still decide to remain within the EU even after it activates Article 50.
Carmichael, who is a member of the UK Parliament’s new Brexit Select Committee set up to scrutinize the government’s plans for exiting the EU, said that he would like to see Lord Kerr give evidence to the committee.
“Unlike most people in government Lord Kerr does seem to know what he is talking about when it comes to Brexit. As the author of Article 50 he is someone from whom the select committee ought to hear,” he said.
Carmichael, whose constituency includes a significant fishing community, backing Brexit, added that the UK government could now be in a position to renegotiate a better deal for Scotland’s fishing sector.
“In fact the shape of our future relationship that we have with the EU will be determined as much by politics as it will by law. We know what the fishing industry wants out of Brexit and now it is up to the government to go and get it for them,” he said.
The UK government is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court following Thursday’s High Court ruling concerned that new legislation through the British Parliament could delay Brexit.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May previously stated she intends to trigger Article 50 at the end of March 2017.
