Pro-Brexit Press Rages at ‘Enemies of the People’ on Court
Pro-Brexit Press Rages at ‘Enemies of the People’ on Court
(Bloomberg) -- Pro-Brexit newspapers in Britain launched a broadside against the High Court ruling that Parliament rather than Prime Minister Theresa May has the power to start the U.K.’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Five months since urging voters to back Brexit, the Daily Mail branded the three judges “Enemies of the People,” while the Sun’s front page demanded: “Who Do EU Think You Are?” The Daily Telegraph’s headline read “The judges versus the people” above a column by U.K. Independence Party interim leader Nigel Farage, who said “a great betrayal is underway.”
National newspapers show reaction to court ruling
The rhetoric shows emotions over Brexit are still running high after the June referendum, leaving Prime Minister Theresa May with a balancing act as she tries to unite the country and even her Conservative Party behind the vote, which split both.
The Daily Express declared “We Must Get Out of the EU” over a picture of the Union Jack flag, and said a crisis was brewing “as grave as anything since the dark days” of World War II.
On the pro-European side of the equation, the Guardian ran an opinion piece on its cover saying the ruling “is a chance to put the national interest first and halt Brexit.”
The newspapers were reacting to Thursday’s decision by the High Court to deny May the right to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty without a parliamentary vote beforehand. Her lawyers had argued she had the prerogative.
To contact the reporter on this story: Simon Kennedy in London at skennedy4@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Hertling at jhertling@bloomberg.net, Anthony Palazzo, Eric Pfanner