BRIDGWATER and West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has said parliament must impose the will of the people following this week's High Court ruling on saying parliament must vote before Article 50 can be triggered.

"I think the first thing to say is that obviously the judges can pass their legal opinion, that is their job," he said.

"However conversely the will of the British people is the most important part of all this, and on June 23 they voted categorically in favour of leaving.

"I think we have to try and stick to the timetable set out by the Prime Minister as it is not fair to the British people to delay and delay, but also it is not fair to Europe.

"What the judges have said is not wrong, but they are not taking into account the will of the British people."

However Labour leader on Sedgemoor District Council Mick Lerry welcomed the judges decision as an opportunity for the Government to declare its plan for leaving the European Union.

"When people voted in the EU Referendum, they were given a choice to leave or remain and we all know the decision was to leave," Cllr Lerry said.

"This meant that as a nation we are leaving, in terms of our membership of the European Union. There was no decision taken to leave the single market or to not trade with EU countries and there was no decision taken on the free movement of goods, services, labour and capital.

"At the same time no decision was taken to invest £350 million a week in the National Health Service."

Cllr Lerry said that if people and politicians are uncertain of the Government’s plan, then we will be unsure if the Government has been successful or has failed in negotiating the best deal, as to how Britain leaves the European Union.

"At this point I want to make it quite clear that the Labour Party supports the outcome of the vote taken on the June 23 and that we are now in a position where we must decide on a plan to leave the EU and then trigger Article 50," he said.

"Rather than condemning the Judges who ruled that parliament must be given a vote before triggering Article 50, which will launch the Brexit process.

"In fact democrats and the electorate should welcome the opportunity for the Government to declare its intention and plan for the future negotiations to leave the European Union.

"However, those who advocated parliamentary sovereignty during the Referendum election are now stating that parliament should not have a voice or say, when it comes to the decision on Article 50.

"Parliament’s role now is to debate the plan for negotiations with the other 27 countries in the European Union."