Justices told to take account of Article 50 vote

MPs have voted by a majority of 373 in favour of a Labour motion calling on the government to set out its Brexit plan and activate article 50 before the end of March next year.

Mr Davis added that he it was “inconceivable” that MPs would not get to vote on the final Brexit deal, but stressed that he would not allow the Opposition to “close off options” in the negotiations.

A second vote saw 448 lawmakers support the motion in its entirety, with the amendment, while 75 lawmakers voted against.

He said the House of Commons vote held on Wednesday that backed leaving the European Union was “legally relevant” to the complex case, adding it was significant as the Commons vote “indicated its view and has done so clearly”.

A statement released by the attorney general, Jeremy Wright QC, said: “The country voted to leave the European Union, in a referendum approved by an act of parliament”.

Mr Clarke said: “It is sadly clear from the constant remarks made to the newspapers and the leaks from now and again that, at the moment, ministers have no idea what the strategy is anyway, and they don’t actually agree with each other”.

Lord Pannick hit back, telling the justices: “Parliament is sovereign”.

Mrs May’s allies said the prime minister would not give away her negotiating hand and that any “plan” would be limited in scope.

Similarly, the SNP argued that Labour MPs had handed the Government a “blank cheque for hard Brexit”.

Mr Davis asked the Shadow Brexit secretary, Sir Keir Starmer: “Does he think it reasonable that they should frustrate and slow down the process of triggering article 50?”.

“Having said that, we appreciate that this case should be resolved as quickly as possible, and we will do our best to achieve that”.

The former chancellor said the existing commitment from ministers to publish a Brexit plan is “extremely vague”, adding the “strategic objectives” should be outlined in a document.

But he insisted this will not include any details that could “jeopardise” the UK’s position, or limit ministers’ “room for manoeuvre”.

Some 23 Labour MPs are understood to have voted against the amendment, but only one Tory – the former frontbencher Ken Clarke.

The government is challenging a ruling by the High Court last month that said parliament must be consulted before Article 50 is triggered.

The Liberal Democrats also opposed the amendment. It is feared by some that rebel MPs could use this opportunity to block the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, as mandated by the 2016 referendum.

Lawyers have finished their Brexit case submissions to a penal of Supreme Court judges after four days of unprecedented legal and constitutional arguments. For another, the government needs to provide evidence that it either has the power to negotiate Brexit on its own or that Parliament has the power to stop them from negotiating Brexit.

“We respectfully submit that that is highly significant”, Eadie told the Supreme Court.

London’s Metropolitan Police said officers arrested a 55-year-old man Monday in Swindon, western England, “on suspicion of racially aggravated malicious communications” directed at a 51-year-old woman since November 3.