The Labour Party will be wiped out in the North of England if it tries to block Brexit being implemented and ignore democracy, an MP has warned.
Shipley MP Philip Davies gave the stark warning after Labour MP Helen Goodman raised an urgent question in the Commons, claiming that MPs must decide whether to trigger Article 50, which is needed to begin the two-year leaving process for Britain.
Government lawyers believe the decision can be made solely by the Prime Minister.
Mr Davies accused Labour of trying to say Parliament had to approve the plans to block democracy.
He said: “Isn’t what we have heard that these devices are not here to help the government implement the will of the public but what they are asking for is the right to try and stop the will of the public being implemented. If the government does not implement this because Labour frustrates the process, they will be wiped out in the North of England in a future general election, so they might be hell bent on self destruction, but I want the minister to save the Labour Party and implement Brexit in full.”
Cabinet Minister John Penrose told the Commons Parliament will “have a role” in triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to formally start the Brexit process.
He added: “There are many reasons for implementing Brexit in full and that is the first time I have been urged to do it to save the Labour Party and I am particularly delighted it has come from the honourable member for Shipley. I will also agree that there will be a nagging concern in the minds of some people, unworthy though it may be, that some of these proposals to delay or subject intricate parliamentary procedures might be to try and frustrate the democratically expressed will of the people, and that of course will be democratically entirely wrong.”
More than 1,000 lawyers have signed a letter to the Prime Minister saying the EU referendum was “advisory” and not legally binding.”
Mr Davies added: “Every person entitled to a vote was allowed to vote and the result was clear. More people want to leave the European Union than remain a member of it. That is democracy and I fully support the democratic process. We cannot have a situation whereby someone does not like the outcome of a particular vote and so demands another one. To try and stop this is insulting the public.”