One of the fundamental principles of parliamentary democracy, that members of parliament have the right to vote according to their conscience, was vindicated in the House of Commons on Monday. A group of 32 Conservative MPs defied the party whip to approve a resolution, which was carried by 27 votes, that took command of parliamentary time away from the Government and handed it to MPs themselves. It means they can start to control Government policy on how the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, or even whether it does so at all. The principle says MPs should not be slaves to party policy nor to government dictation, nor be obliged to follow blindly some past public vote such as in a general election or a referendum. They must each be free to weigh up the issues as their conscience dictates.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the Brexit debate is the extent to which this principle has been lost sight of. It is frequently argued, not least by the prime minister, that MPs have a solemn obligation to comply with the result of the 2016 referendum in favour of leaving the European Union – irrespective of whether they agree with it, or approve of the particular way the Government is trying to implement that decision.