Parliament Must Vote On Article 50

Legal experts from law firm Irwin Mitchell say that businesses should brace themselves for yet further uncertainty, after the Government lost their Supreme Court Appeal over Brexit today.

The judges rejected the case put by ministers by a majority of eight to three, meaning that Parliament must now vote on whether the government can start the Brexit process.

The judgement means that PM Theresa May cannot begin talks with the EU until MPs and peers give their backing.

Mrs May previously indicated that she expected this to happen in time for the government's 31 March deadline.

Campaigners argued denying Parliament a vote would be undemocratic but the government said it already had powers to get talks under way, without the need for consulting MPs and peers.

Irwin Mitchell’s team of experts have been closely monitoring events surround Brexit and are strongly advising businesses to have both short and long term plans in place to help them manage the uncertainty and maximise the opportunities the ever changing political landscape brings. 

Expert Opinion

Businesses should prepare for the unexpected now that the Supreme Court has set the government on course for a Brexit parliamentary vote. Although the Government seems confident they will be able to push ahead as planned, there could still be unexpected hurdles to overcome if the vote doesn’t go their way. <br/> <br/>If the vote goes the Government’s way, with all to play for in the negotiations with Brussels, businesses and industry sectors should prioritise getting their voices heard. The financial and automotive sectors will be a priority for Theresa May’s administration; for others, now is the time to engage with ministers and civil servants. Individual companies will be making operational plans already but stakeholder engagement is also important and being aware of the priorities of shareholders, customers and employees will support future relationships. Laurence Gavin - Partner