Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Wednesday 15th May 2019

This Government will not revoke Article 50. It will not therefore put the issue of revocation before Parliament. Instead the Government remains committed to honouring the result of the 2016 referendum

This Government remains clear that it will not revoke Article 50. There is therefore no question of a vote on revocation in Parliament. We were given a clear instruction from the British people in the 2016 referendum - to deliver the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. This Government remains committed to honoring that instruction.

Parliament has itself voted to empower and uphold the result of the 2016 referendum.

First, it overwhelmingly voted to put the question of the UK’s membership of the European Union to the British electorate - so that the British people could instruct Government on its will.

Second, following 17.4 million people voting to leave the European Union, providing the biggest democratic mandate for any course of action ever directed at a UK Government, Parliament then voted with clear and convincing majorities in both Houses to trigger the UK’s notice, under Article 50, to withdraw from the EU .

Third, both major political parties were then re-elected on manifestos which committed to upholding the result of the 2016 referendum.

To revoke Article 50 and thereby remain in the European Union would be a betrayal of the commitments made by politicians to the British people. It would undermine both our democracy and the trust that millions of voters have placed in Government. The Prime Minister has said that failing to deliver Brexit would cause “potentially irreparable damage to public trust” and this Government maintains that leaving with a deal remains the best outcome for the UK. The Government will therefore press on at pace with efforts to reach a consensus on a deal that is in the national interest.

The 2016 referendum gave a clear instruction to the Government to deliver the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. This Government is committed to implementing this instruction.

Department for Exiting the European Union.