Blocking Brexit an outrage, says Dudley MP Mike Wood

Conservative Dudley South MP Mike Wood says any attempt to block Brexit would be 'a constitutional outrage' and said this week's landmark court ruling was 'a blatant attempt' to override the vote to leave the EU.

His comments came after Theresa May told European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel that she was confident of winning a Supreme Court appeal over the judgement, which ruled that she cannot invoke Article 50 without Parliament's support.

Mr Wood said: "It would be a constitutional outrage if Parliament made any attempts to block Brexit.

"Hopefully the government wins its appeal for the good of the country.

"17.4 million people voted to leave the EU after Parliament returned sovereignty to the public in the referendum.

"No one can now legitimately argue that we should take that back.

"This is a blatant attempt to override the will of the people."

Wolverhampton North East MP Emma Reynolds said the court ruling should not be considered an attempt to overturn the referendum result.

"The vast majority of MPs respect the result, including me," she said.

Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant sent out a warning to fellow MPs in the wake of the court ruling.

He said: "421 out of 574 English and Welsh constituencies voted to Leave.

"Heaven help any MP who chooses to defy their electorate on this."

The government's appeal against Thursday's ruling to the Supreme Court will take place in early December.

During telephone conversations with Mr Juncker and Mrs Merkel, Mrs May said the government was 'disappointed' at Thursday's court ruling but that it was focused on the Supreme Court case.

"We are confident of winning that case and proceeding with Article 50," the Prime Minister's spokesman said.

Downing Street refused to say whether legislation was already being drawn up for triggering Article 50 in case the Supreme Court upheld the ruling, stressing that it was focused on winning the case.

Asked if Mrs May agreed with Cabinet minister Sajid Javid, who described the judgment as 'unacceptable', the spokesman said: "The very fact that we are appealing that decision means very clearly that we don't accept that decision."

If it loses the appeal, it is expected that the government will have to publish some form of new law for MPs and the House of Lords to vote on.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has insisted that the ruling would not interfere with the timetable for triggering article 50.

"The direction is very clear the will of the British people was expressed very clearly and it is the decision of Theresa May and her government to get on and make that process work," he added.

"And that is what is going to happen.

"It is very important for our European friends and partners...to get on with delivering a solution that works for both our great economies."

Meanwhile Pro-Brexit Tory Stephen Phillips has resigned as an MP with immediate effect due to 'irreconcilable policy differences with the current government'.

His resignation will trigger a by-election in his Sleaford and North Hykeham seat, where he had a majority of more than 24,000 at last year's general election. He said: "It has been a great honour to serve the people of Sleaford and North Hykeham for the last six years, but it has become clear to me over the last few months that my growing and very significant policy differences with the current Government mean that I am unable properly to represent the people who elected me.

"This decision has been a difficult one and I hope that everyone will respect the fact that I have tried to act in the best interests of all of my constituents."

There was mounting speculation that his resignation would prompt an early general election, but Downing Street said that Mrs May's position that there should not be a general election before 2020 remained unchanged.