UK High Court ruling unlikely to derail Brexit process

The November 3 ruling by a British High Court that Parliament must vote before the British government triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to begin the Brexit process has been seen by many as making it less likely that the United Kingdom will leave the European Union or that the UK is heading for a “softer” Brexit. The UK government is now appealing the High Court ruling. However, even if the government loses its appeal, it is highly unlikely that Parliament will block Brexit given that the Conservative government has a majority of 15 in the House of Commons. Furthermore, the strong British sense of fair play makes it unlikely that members of Parliament would overturn the referendum result and be accused of dictating to the public, especially given that opinion polls since the June referendum show a steady rise in support for the Conservatives. Sterling rebounded off its lows following the High Court ruling but these gains may prove to be short-lived as uncertainty about the timing of Brexit negotiations persists.