Victoria Atkins MP '˜will vote in favour of Article 50'

Louth and Horncastle MP, Victoria Atkins, has confirmed that she will vote in favour of triggering Article 50 if the issue comes before Parliament.
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Last week, the High Court ruled that the Government cannot rely on the Royal Prerogative to trigger Article 50 of the EU Treaty to start the process of leaving the European Union. Instead, the High Court ruled that the government must seek the votes of the House of Commons and the House of Lords to trigger Article 50.

Ms Atkins has made clear that, should this question be put before the House of Commons, she will vote to trigger Article 50.

Her decision is in-keeping with the views of her constituents, as 70.7 per cent of East Lindsey voters chose to leave the EU when they voted in the referendum on June 23.

Ms Atkins, who was a ‘Remain’ campaigner in the run-up to the referendum, said: “The Government is mounting an appeal against the High Court’s judgment.

“The Prime Minister is determined to stick to the timetable she set at Conservative Party Conference, namely that Article 50 will be triggered by the end of March 2017.

“If I am called upon to vote on the issue of whether to trigger Article 50, I will vote to trigger it.”

The Government has mounted an appeal against the High Court ruling, and the Supreme Court is expected to hear the appeal next month.