MPs will 'comfortably' back Article 50 if parliament gets vote says political expert

MPs will "comfortably" vote through triggering Article 50, the official mechanism to split from the EU, if parliament has a say on the issue, according to a top political expert.

The University of Kent's Professor Matthew Goodwin explained to IBTimes UK that an "overwhelming" amount of constituencies backed a Brexit at the 23 June referendum.

"Assuming that [the government's appeal] is unsuccessful and the vote needs parliamentary approval, then I do expect the vote to pass quite comfortably given that, although a majority of MPs voted for Remain, an overwhelming amount of constituencies (421 seats in England and Wales) voted to leave the EU and want to see Article 50 triggered," he said.

The comments come after the government lost a major case at the High Court following a challenge from Remain voter and investment fund manager Gina Miller.

The Attorney General Jeremy Wright unsuccessfully argued that ministers had the authority to trigger Article 50 without holding a parliamentary vote. The government will appeal the decision at the Supreme Court sometime in early December.

Interim Ukip leader Nigel Farage claimed a "betrayal may be near at hand" in reaction to the judgment.

"I now fear that every attempt will be made to block or delay the triggering of Article 50," the Eurosceptic said. "If this is so, they have no idea of the level of public anger they will provoke."

Goodwin told IBTimes UK that the decision could bolster Ukip, who are in the process of electing a new leader.

"If you ever wanted to know how to pour gasoline on a populist fire, this is it," he said.

"A seemingly distant group of judges being seen to undermine the will of the British people is exactly an outcome that plays strongly to Nigel Farage's claim that the will of the people is not respected by elites in London."