Brexit: Theresa May urged to ‘remember her words’ after calling for MPs right to veto European talks in 2007

Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan told The Independent the Prime Minister’s 2007 comments were ’spot on’

In 2007 Ms May claimed ministers should gain approval from a Commons committee before talks with the EU (Getty)

Theresa May has been urged to “remember her earlier words” after a paper resurfaced showing the Prime Minister’s previous enthusiasm for MPs having a right to veto European talks.

Since becoming Prime Minister, Ms May has repeatedly refused to give MPs a vote in the Commons or set out Britain’s negotiating strategy with Brussels – despite calls from the major political parties and the new Commons Brexit select committee.

But in 2007 Ms May, then the shadow leader of the Commons, claimed that ministers should have to set out their negotiating positions to a Commons committee “and gain its approval” before talks with the EU.

Speaking about European legislation and restoring Parliamentary sovereignty, Ms May added: “Our feeble system of scrutiny undermines Parliament’s ability to check or restrain the Government’s actions in Europe.”

“In our constitution, Parliament is supposed to be sovereign, but this weakness means that in practice it is not. We therefore need a system that gives Parliament real powers over ministers, enough time to scrutinise new EU laws, and the transparency to restore public trust in the process.”

Writing in a pamphlet for the right-wing think tank Politeia with her special adviser Nick Timothy, it was also argued that ministers failing to comply would have to resign. Though the pamphlet was regarding EU laws and British scrutiny, it appears Ms May views parliamentary sovereignty in a different light when it comes to Brexit.

Nicky Morgan, the former Education Secretary, told The Independent that Ms May was “spot on” in 2007 to argue Parliament should be heavily involved in the UK’s negotiations with Europe. “In 2016 MPs aren’t asking for a veto but they do want a say and we hope the Prime Minister will remember her earlier words,” she added.

Former business minister Anna Soubry said she welcomed the “fact that obviously the Prime Minister recognised the importance of Parliament”. She told the Times newspaper: “Ministers can’t go off and negotiate with the EU without some form of scrutiny, guidance and approval from Parliament.”

Nick Clegg, the former deputy Prime Minister who speaks for the Liberal Democrats on Brexit, added: “I agree entirely with what Theresa May wrote in 2007, that it should be ‘impossible to over-ride’ parliament and that ‘ministers should have to set out their negotiating positions’. What a pity she appears to have changed her mind.

“This follows revelations that she had warned prior to the referendum that withdrawing from the single market would be devastating for the British economy and her flip flopping on Hinkley and Heathrow.

“If she's not careful, Theresa May will develop a reputation as a flip flop PM - with no mandate of her own and no policies which she's prepared to stand by.“

Downing Street sources said Ms May had written the article about proposals covering the way ministers negotiated specific aspects of policy while the UK was a member of the EU.

“They were about providing a check against giving away more sovereignty,” they added.

“We are now talking about negotiating an entirely new relationship with the EU, based on the mandate given to us in the referendum."

Earlier this week Hilary Benn, the new chairman of the Commons Brexit committee, said MPs should be able to tell ministers to “change this or do that” before a decision triggering Article 50 – the untested protocol for a member state leaving the EU.

He said: “It’s not a vote on Article 50 – I think Parliament would seek to have a vote on the negotiating plan, because they are two different things.”