Lib Dem MP Tells LBC "Something Is Rotten At The Heart Of Our Democracy"
6 August 2019, 19:36
A Lib Dem MP who is part of legal action to prevent Boris Johnson proroguing Parliament in order to achieve a no-deal Brexit tells LBC "something is rotten at the heart of our democracy."
As a cross-party group of MPs have mounted a legal challenge to the Prime Minister's ability to prorogue Parliament in order to force a no-deal Brexit, Lib Dem MP Layla Moran said she was part of the legal action in Scotland.
She told Eddie Mair originally the case was launched when there were "rumours" Boris Johnson was set to prorogue Parliament to force a no-deal Brexit through.
The MP said "as it happens, the amendments we passed through recess, that looks less and less likely."
She said the basis of their case was ensuring Parliament remains sovereign as it is the "basis of our constitution."
Ms Moran said to Eddie she wanted to "stop us going off any kind of cliff edges without Parliament having its say."
Telling Eddie that Parliamentarians felt they had been "bypassed," the MP said that Theresa May has tried, and now "we're here agin."
"Something is rotten at the heart of our democracy," she told LBC.
Speaking of the court case she said she was glad the UK has a judicial system with a relationship independent of government, and can "hold it to account."
Eddie asked why not "let the party that was democratically elected in 2017 fulfil the mandate of the referendum of 2016?"
Ms Moran said "because they didn't have a majority," when Eddie said "they had a majority in the referendum," her reply was "well, that was then."
Speaking on the subject of a second referendum on European Union membership the Liberal Democrat politician said she knows many people who voted leave "on the basis there would be a deal."
The Lib Dem argument, Ms Moran said, was that if people still believe that no-deal is what the country wants, then it should be put back to the people in a "very risky no-deal versus remain referendum."
To find out who Layla Moran thinks would win the second referendum watch the video at the top of the page.
