The Labour Party face trouble as several of their MPs have resigned over the House of Commons approving the second reading of a bill to allow Prime Minister Theresa May to invoke Article 50, which will trigger Brexit, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, following the result of the referendum last year and after party leader Jeremy Corbyn told them that they must trigger Brexit.

Shadow minister Tulip Siddiq, Shadow environment secretary Rachael Maskell, Shadow minister for diverse communities Dawn Butler, Shadow Welsh secretary Jo Stevens and Shadow Business Secretary Clive Lewis are among those of the 52 Labour politicians who resigned against Brexit.

Butler tweeted after resigning: “Been an honour to serve n shadow cabinet doing a job I love. Can’t let down future generations voting against poor excuse of a Bill #Brexit”.

Meanwhile, SNP MP Hannah Bardells quoted T2: Trainspotting when talking to MPs at the Houses of Parliament last Thursday (February 2): “I saw Trainspotting 2 recently and it inspired me. Choose Brexit. Choose making up numbers from thin air about the NHS and plastering them on the side of buses. Choose racist and xenophobic sentiments seeping out from some corners of the Leave campaign. Choose hate crime rising over 40% and LGBT hate crime by 150% in England and Wales following the Brexit vote. Choose taking the people of our nations to the polls on one of the most important issues of a generation with nothing written down and no plan. Choose ignoring the interests of the people of Scotland … despite the fact we voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU. Choose the great Brexit power grab, taking back control of straight bananas … Choose the UK turning its back on Europe.”

She later tweeted: “Inspired by #Trainspotting2 – I wanted to highlight that Scotland did not choose #Brexit, it chose life, in the EU.”

Yesterday (February 8), the House of Commons voted in favour of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) bill by 494 to 122, a majority of 372. It will need to gain approval from the House of Lords before Mrs May can invoke Article 50, which she was promised to do so in April.

After the vote, Lewis announced his resignation as Shadow Business Secretary and then Corbyn tweeted: “Real fight starts now. Over next two years Labour will use every opportunity to ensure Brexit protects jobs, living standards & the economy.”