I have written as follows: Dear Sirs,
As a retired lawyer (and general counsel of Rentokil Initial plc for over six years) I wish to register my support for the action you are taking to ensure that the decision to leave the EU is approved by parliament after a full debate in both houses. Britain is not governed by plebiscite but by elected representatives who are trusted to use their best judgement to act in the best interests of the country and MPs have that duty irrespective of the results of any referendum which, as you know better than I, is only advisory.
From my distant memories of constitutional law, a statute can only be undone by statute. The UK entered the EEC as then was by statute and, as the “leave” campaign was keen to point out, the sovereignty of the UK Parliament is the appropriate body to govern our laws and this decision demands that the same sovereign Parliament determines whether or not the country should leave, not the executive.
It is evident only a week after the results of the referendum became known that it has been extremely damaging to the UK economy and is forecast to further damage the economy in the short, medium and longer terms. The campaign itself was a horrible pastiche of the X factor, with every expert being decried by the leave campaign as “scaremongering”. Since the referendum the alleged “scaremongering" has proven to be accurate, with the pound falling dramatically (as predicted by said experts), the Bank of England being forced to take extraordinary steps to support the British economy, together with leading British-based companies indicating that they will move their headquarters in the event of the UK leaving the EU, and the prospects of significant difficulties in Ireland and the possibility of a breakup of the UK.
While before the referendum these fears were theoretical, since the result has become known, these fears are now either factual or real, political leaders In Scotland and Northern Ireland making credible political capital which could further damage the country by leading to its dismantling. Members of Parliament must now take their decision on the facts which have come to light since the outcome of the referendum became known, and no doubt will become known before any such debate is held.
Yours sincerely
Gareth Brown
