Victory as Scottish Court rules against Brexit extension

Campaigners have had their legal bid to force Boris Johnson to delay Brexit to avoid no-deal thrown out by a judge and to say they are not happy is an understatement. 

Businessman Vince Dale along with SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC and Jolyon Maugham QC – launched the legal action at the Outer House of the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

They wanted a judge to legally order that Mr Johnson had to send a letter to Brussels asking for the delay.

They also wanted to try and stop the prime minister finding a way around the law, including getting the judge to ban Mr Johnson from asking EU leaders to veto the request.

Their case was dismissed on Monday afternoon to much embarrassment for the campaigners who had hoped to win. This is seen as a massive victory for the PM and could lead to a No Deal Brexit on the 31st of October.

Boris Johnson had earlier said:

“We will study any judgements very closely as we always do. We will respect the law, and we will leave the EU on 31 October. Clearly that’s what the people of this country voted for.

“I think most people want just to get Brexit done. It’s been going on for a long time now.”

The judge ruled that the UK government’s public statements were an expression of its “political policy” and were “clearly not intended to be taken as conclusive statements of the government’s understanding of its legal obligations”.

And he said it would be “destructive of one of the core principles of constitutional propriety and of the mutual trust that is the bedrock of the relationship between the court and the Crown” if Mr Johnson reneged on his assurances to the court.