Theresa May 'could call election next year' after High Court ruling

Pic: Theresa May PM
Political reporter(wp/es):

Theresa May could call a snap general election next year to ensure she has enough supportive MPs to start the Brexitprocess, ministers have said.

Three judges today ruled that the Prime Minister must give MPs a vote before invoking Article 50, which starts the countdown for Britain to leave the EU.

Speaking after the High Court ruling, Tory former minister Dominic Raab said if the debate gets to the stage where MPs in the Remain camp are threatening to block the triggering of Article 50 in a Commons vote, Mrs May could call an election.

Mrs May has said she will formally begin the Brexit process by the end of March and has insisted she will not reveal her negotiation plans, despite calls from MPs for her to do so.

The next election is not due to take place until 2020 unless the Government loses a vote of no confidence or there is a vote by MPs with a two-thirds majority in favour of an early election.

Appearing on BBC Two's Daily Politics alongside Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, Mr Raab said: "I think the elephant in the room here is if we get to the stage where effectively Stephen and his colleagues are not willing to allow this negotiation to even begin, I think there must be an increased chance that we will need to go to the country again.

"I think that would be a mistake and I don't think those trying to frustrate the verdict in the referendum will be rewarded."

But Mr Kinnock accused Mr Raab and Mrs May of being "scared" of MPs.

He said: "I don't know what Dominic and the Prime Minister and all these people are scared of. 

"Why don't we just have a mature, sober debate in Parliament, as we do on any issue that comes before us, and this happens to be the most important since the Second World War."

Labour MP Mike Gapes said a general election before Article 50 is triggered was now likely.

He tweeted: "I predicted an early election. I think this court judgment makes it now very likely before Article 50 is triggered."

Meanwhile, Ladbrokes slashed its odds on a general election next year to 2/1.