UK Supreme Court ruling complicates path to Brexit

IN ONE of the most significant developments since the Brexit referendum, the UK Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling on Tuesday that the government requires an Act of Parliament to trigger Article 50 and commence formal exit negotiations with the EU. The decision, while technical in nature, re-energises debate over Brexit and could shape UK politics in key ways, given that many legislators have different priorities on this crucial agenda.

The potential significance of the ruling comes in the context of Prime Minister Theresa May's speech last week setting out her EU exit vision. She advocated a so-called "harder" Brexit, arguing against retaining key parts of the EU, including European Single Market membership.

While the speech has been warmly welcomed by Brexiteers, it divided legislators, and indeed the nation as a whole, given that 48 per cent of the population voted to remain in the EU, let alone others in the 52 per cent who wanted a "softer" Brexit, rather than the more abrupt departure being proposed. There is also concern in Westminster about Mrs May's view that "no deal is better than a bad deal", given her apparent willingness to potentially embrace what is widely seen as the worst-case scenario of reverting to World Trade Organization (WTO) trading rules if no exit agreement is reached.