THE Supreme Court's decision on Article 50 will allow "anti-democratic losers...to conduct a parliamentary guerrilla warfare" against Brexit, the DUP's Sammy Wilson has claimed.
The East Antrim MP, whose party campaigned to leave the EU, said the Supreme Court's decision was "disappointing" but welcomed its ruling that the devolved administrations will not be able to veto the British government's Brexit plans.
"It would have been totally irrational to have the Northern Ireland Assembly, Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament, dictate the direction in which the nation should go after such a clear and decisive vote," he said.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD told the Dáil yesterday that the decision of most of the north's voters to opt for Remain must be respected and said following Brexit a "land frontier between the EU and the British State will be on the island of Ireland".
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood MLA said despite the court's judgment, the devolved administrations should be able to veto attempts to leave the EU.
"Northern Ireland voted to remain in the European Union, yet the Northern Ireland Assembly is being denied any role or rights in the upcoming negotiations with the European Union," he said.
Ulster Unionist MPs Tom Elliott and Danny Kinahan welcomed that the devolved institutions would not have a veto.
Jones Cassidy Brett Solicitors, who represented applicants including a cross-party group of MLAs in a legal case in Belfast's High Court which challenged the government's plans for triggering Article 50, welcomed the Supreme Court's decision.
However it said the applicants were "disappointed that the Supreme Court did not accept their argument that the consent of the Northern Ireland Assembly was legally required" before Article 50 is triggered.
A separate legal case taken by victims' campaigner Raymond McCord was referred to the Supreme Court. Mr McCord said he was encouraged by the court's ruling but urged the DUP to "vote for what the majority want" and vote against Brexit in Parliament.
A Belfast man linked to yesterday's Brexit legal challenge welcomed the Supreme Court decision.
Fergal McFerran was one of several people named as "interested parties" with connections to the crowd funded campaign group, People's Challenge.
"Today's judgment is testament to the hard work of many thousands of people across the country who have been genuinely concerned by Theresa May's approach to dealing with the outcome of the EU referendum," he said.
