Local MPs Faces Article 50 'Brexit' Vote Dilemma
Ruth Cadbury and Rupa Huq may have to resign if they ignore party whip
The two MPs who represent the Chiswick area face a difficult decision in the coming weeks as the vote in Parliament on triggering Article 50 looms.
This week the leader of the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, announced that there will be a three-line whip for his MPs and there were reports that rebel shadow front-bench members would be sacked if they defied the vote.
Both Ruth Cadbury, who represents Brentford and Isleworth and Rupa Huq, who holds the Ealing Central and Acton seat are shadow ministers for housing and home affairs respectively. It is believed that they would have to step down from their shadow cabinet roles if they fail to obey the party leader’s instruction. Both MPs have relatively slim majorities and represent constituencies which were decisively against leaving the European Union. Brentford and Isleworth voted by 56.7% in favour of Remain with all three wards voting between 73-74% in favour of staying in the EU with a clear majority in most of the others wards.
The Southfield ward in Ealing Borough which covers the North Chiswick area and is in Rupa Huq's constituency had an even higher level of support with 75.9% of voters opting for Remain. The percentage vote for Remain was the highest in the borough.
Rupa Huq voted against an earlier non-binding motion on Brexit but it was not Labour party to oppose it at the time. She also retweeted the announcement by Louise Ellman MP earlier this week that she would be voting against the Article 50 Bill.
A spokesman for Ruth Cadbury said that she was unable to confirm how she would vote 'at this point'. Rupa Huq has not responded to our requests for a statement on her voting intentions.
Several other Labour MPs in constituencies which voted Remain during the referendum have said that they will ignore the whip. Two of them have already resigned.
Tulip Siddiq resigned from her front bench position after declaring her intention to not to support the Bill, while Shadow Foreign minister, Catherine West, has also said she would be voting against.
Theresa May has said that she intends to trigger Article 50 before the end of March despite the recent Supreme Court decision to endorse a previous ruling that Parliament must be consulted.
Ruth Cadbury MP said last November, ‘There must be accountability on this incredibly important issue and Parliament should be able to properly scrutinise the Government’s plan for leaving the EU before Article 50 is triggered. There are big issues that affect everyone in every part of our country, and I believe the Government must be able to provide clear answers to questions on these issues. This includes the rights of the many EU nationals living here, contributing to our communities and our economy. As part of that scrutiny, we have to explore how much we can still be part of the Single Market as so many British jobs depend on it.’
Keir Starmer, Labour’s Brexit Minister, has said that no punishment has been determined for rebel Labour MPs and promised that any disputes would be resolved “collegiately”. It is understood that several members of the shadow frontbench argued for a free vote on the issue but some of those reported to have done so have since said that they will obey the whip.
After Article 50 is triggered, the UK will remain a member for a period of two years before breaking away entirely from the EU. After this there will be a period of transition in which EU regulations will continue to apply but will be gradually replaced in some cases by domestic legislation.
January 27, 2017