'Brexit' Mastermind Dominic Cummings Says Critics Of High Court Ruling Are 'Babbling Nonsense'

Man behind 'vote leave, take control' says High Court is "reasonable".
Dominic Cummings has urged 'Brexit-eers' not to indulge in “confused whining”
Dominic Cummings has urged 'Brexit-eers' not to indulge in “confused whining”
David Levenson via Getty Images

The mastermind behind ‘Brexit’ has put himself at odds with high-profile Eurosceptics by arguing the High Court ruling giving Parliament a vote on Article 50 is “reasonable”

Nigel Farage and some Tory MPs raged at the judgment today that Theresa May had to consult Parliament before formally withdrawing Britain from the EU.

As politicians who spent months promising Brits a return of power to Westminster got angry, Dominic Cummings, the man credited with coining the phrase “vote leave, take control” of laws and sovereignty, thinks their fury is misplaced - and that ‘Brexit-ers’ should respect the judgment and win the argument in Westminster.

The former adviser to Michael Gove and campaign director of the official Vote Leave campaign urged Out-ers to ignore the “bad bits” of the judgment.

Cummings, in an extended Twitter exposition, begins by pointing out ‘Brexit’ succeeded because Vote Leave “froze out” those today critcising the ruling - including the Farage-Ukip-Breitbart wing - who are now engaged in “babbling nonsense”.

1/ NB. @vote_leave won cos we froze out of important decisions almost all those you see babbling nonsense re the court judgment today

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

2/ ‘Ricardo’ the alpha VL legal expert knows more than MPs, said weeks ago 'Govt has mishandled case, 75% chance it loses’. Nobody listened

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

He then takes to Caps Lock to make clear the judgment was “reasonable”.

3/ The judgment has some bad bits but OUTers should ignore that & focus on the heart of it - AT HEART IT IS REASONABLE

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

4/ Why? Because Parliamentary sovereignty means Govt cannot (& shd not try to) change domestic law by use of the prerogative

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

5/ Triggering A50 without PARL approval wd breach this principle cos wd create a situation in which ECA72 MUST be repealed

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

Cummings goes on to urge angry MPs to “focus on winning parliamentary battles” not indulge in “confused whining”.

6/ OUT MPs: deep breath & stick to important principles of how a serious country works & focus on winning PARL battles, not confused whining

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

7/ Judicial activism is big problem but that is not the point today - we won to make UK a serious country, this is > important than tactics

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

8/ Judgment does not mean serious change in probability of repealing ECA72, forex mrkts irrational/inefficient as usual on this subject

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

9/ It is foolish to undermine an important principle cos cross re an (unnecessary) tactical setback

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

10/ It wd be wiser to focus on actually beating those who ARE trying to stop repeal of ECA, not mistaken complaints re Courts

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

The way forward for ‘Brexit-eers’ is clear: “smash IN-ers in Parliament and media”.

11/ Govt briefed lawyers badly. Shd cut losses drop appeal & overrule officials. Smash INers in PARL & media not prolong likely doomed fight

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

12/ NB. VL said: winning is necessary NOT sufficient to make UK serious country again. That reqs big changes to PARL & Whitehall etc...

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

12/ OUTers blasting the judgment = implicitly supporting idea that UK Gvt shd be able to change UK law via prerogative = foolish & dangerous

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

13/ NB Ending supremacy of EU law & ECJ in UK law does NOT req A50 anyway, it reqs repeal of domestic law (ECA72) which reqs PARL approval

— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) November 3, 2016

His stance is clearly at odds with the Government, which will challenge the court, and others who want the UK to quit the EU.

Aaron Banks, co-founder of the rival Leave.EU group, which failed to get the official leave designation, said the judges behind today’s decision of “declaring war on democracy”.

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