MY mailbox this week, like the news, has been dominated by the High Court judgment that the government cannot trigger Article 50, beginning the process of exit from the EU, without Parliamentary approval in the form of a resolution or an Act of Parliament.

I have received representations on both sides of the argument: that Parliament should give an independent assessment of the merits of leaving the EU, and that Parliament must not block the clear vote result of the June referendum.

I have reflected previously in the Journal that neither campaign in the referendum covered itself in glory. However, to me the terms of the referendum were crystal clear: that Parliament passed the Referendum Act fully expecting that the government would implement the result.

Whilst the campaigns fell short of what might have been hoped, this cannot be allowed to overturn what was a clear result, with a considerably higher turnout than the last four General Elections, and over a million votes between the ‘Leave’ and ‘Remain’.

It is absolutely clear to me that Parliament in approving the referendum gave the decision over our membership of the EU to the British people, and it is now up to Parliament to allow that result to be implemented.

Whilst it would be completely unacceptable for Parliament to block the triggering of Article 50, it is also right that Parliament has a full say on our future and can scrutinise the government’s plans. This cannot involve tying the government’s hands, by creating red lines or by prescribing a minimum offer.

The options for our relationship with the EU are so broad and interrelated that they will inevitably evolve during a negotiation. However, Parliament must be able to debate the various areas of negotiations and make proposals for the government to consider.

Exiting the EU does not mean the end of a relationship with Europe. We must remain close friends and allies. I am confident that the government will negotiate not a closed and insular settlement, but one where we are open to Europe and the world, whilst remaining a sovereign, independent state.