A LEADING Brexit politician has insisted that there is no going back on last week’s Brexit vote, saying Parliament has no right to overturn the will of the people.

Speaking exclusively to The Argus, Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan said that MPs considering blocking moves towards Brexit were “contemptuous and contemptible.”

His comments came following Caroline Lucas’s claim this week that the existing government had “no mandate” to initiate any negotiations.

In response to Mr Hannan the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion yesterday refused to rule out voting against a Bill to leave the European Union.

And Labour MP for Hove Peter Kyle hit back at Mr Hannan, calling the South East MEP “a joke” and insisting that his own vote on the matter would be determined by what was best for the city.

Since the EU referendum last Thursday was technically “advisory”, and a previous Act of Parliament took Britain into the EU (then the EC), it will require a vote in the House of Commons to put the result on a legal footing and begin the process of withdrawal.

But Mr Hannan told The Argus: “Parliament as a whole voted for the referendum and therefore implicitly committed to accepting the outcome of the referendum.

He added: “The idea they can overturn it when more people voted for this than have ever voted for anything, I would say that MPs saying that are being contemptuous and contemptible.”

He said that both sides should accept the result and work together, with Leavers taking on board the concerns of the 48 per cent who voted to stay. But he said that disgruntled Remainers should accept the outcome of the democratic process.

In response Peter Kyle said: “Mr Hannan has spent the last decade telling voters that the point of Brexit is to make the power of parliament and its MP’s supreme. Now, a week after Brexit, he tells MPs they have no choice. What a joke this man has become.”

He added: “I can’t say how I will vote when one hasn’t even been called yet but nothing will sway me other than the argument at hand and what will lead to the continued prosperity and wellbeing of the city I love and have a duty to protect.”

Mrs Lucas also refused to be drawn, saying: “At this stage we simply don't know enough about the post-referendum process to say now which way I would vote.”

She went on: “The Government has no mandate to instigate brexit negotiations, and a General election is needed to give people a say.”

Earlier in the day she tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons calling for a full Parliamentary debate on any proposals for EU withdrawal.

‘I DO NOT BELIEVE LEAVE CAMPAIGN, OR THE RESULT HAS EMBOLDENED RACISTS’

Some Sussex MPs have questioned whether Parliament should immediately enforce the referendum result. Do Parliament or MPs have any right to vote against the referendum result?

No. Parliament as a whole voted for the referendum and therefore implicitly committed to accepting the outcome of the referendum. I’m prepared to accept that this is a lean mandate so we might have to move more moderately than if it had been a more emphatic result. But the idea they can overturn it when more people voted for this than have ever voted for anything, I would say that MPs saying that are being contemptuous and contemptible.

How do you explain the extraordinary Remain vote in Brighton and Hove?

It’s no surprise that Brighton does it’s own thing on these occasions. I think both campaigns always knew what the result in Brighton and Hove would be.

There have been a lot of vigils and protests, a lot of people here saying that the country has moved in a direction they aren’t comfortable with.

Well that’s democracy isn’t it. I didn’t feel comfortable with Gordon Brown being my Prime Minister but I didn’t ask for a rerun of the election. Well actually, in Gordon Brown’s case there wasn’t an election so that’s a bad example. That was the whole problem.

Both sides need to work together now. We Leavers need to take on board the concerns of the large minority who voted to stay. What we need to do is move slowly towards a recovery of power.

Can you clarify your position on immigration and freedom of movement?

My position hasn’t changed. The one absolute promise made by the Leave side is that we will take back control of immigration policy. That means no foreign court can determine who can come to this country and stay in this country. That is incompatible with EU citizenship. We must cease to be EU citizens.

Once Parliament is sovereign it is up to Parliament to do whatever deals it considers to be in the national interest. We have for instance had a free movement deal with the Irish Republic since 1923 and I don’t believe anyone is proposing to reverse that.

Do you believe we should remain members of the single market?

Personally no, I don’t believe we have to remain members of the single market. We would be better off leaving the single market and exploring the competitive advantages, no longer having to apply European Union regulations except where we are selling to the EU. But this may be one area where we make sure we do something which a majority on both sides can live with.

Is there any justification for a second referendum?

There can’t be another referendum unless it’s on a completely different idea. It may be that we end up with agreed negotiated status outside the union but closely linked. What Jacques Delors called a privileged partnership. If people want to ask the question on that then I’m always in favour of a referendum. If we end up with economic links but not political union, if people want to have a referendum on that, then fine.

Do you think the content of the campaigns made up people’s minds, or were they made up long before?

Obviously there has always been a lot of opposition to the EU in this country. I think the biggest fillip for Leave was the failure of David Cameron to secure substantive return of powers in his renegotiation. I think many people could have lived with a new deal, but there was a failure to bring back substantive change.

There have been reports of an increase in hate crimes. Did the campaign or the result embolden racists?

No I think that suggestion is outrageous. 52 per cent of people voted for more democracy. The idea that they are somehow just a little less down the spectrum than people who scrawl racist abuse on walls is outrageous.

I do not believe the campaign or the result emboldened racists. Every society has some racist halfwits. They existed before last week and they would have existed whether the vote had gone Remain or Leave.

What is your message to the people of Brighton and Hove?

We have to take on board what Remainers have said, especially about not cutting economic links, and the city’s international programmes to do with universities and research.

And I hope that instead of trying to rerun the contest they work in cooperation towards a compromise that a majority of Leavers and Remainers can accept.