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Brexit court case: Who is Gina Miller? Brexit court case: Who is Gina Miller?
(3 days later)
Investment manager Gina Miller has been the lead claimant in the case to get Parliament to vote on whether the UK can start the process of leaving the EU - but who is she? Gina Miller has been the lead claimant in the legal fight to get Parliament to vote on whether the UK can start the process of leaving the EU - but who is she?
Ms Miller, 51, is an investment manager and philanthropist who was born in Guyana but grew up in Britain, co-founding the investment firm SCM Private in 2009. Ms Miller, 51, is an investment manager and philanthropist who was born in Guyana but grew up in Britain.
She launched True and Fair with her hedge fund manager husband, Alan, which campaigns against mis-selling and hidden fund charges in the City of London's fund management industry. According to her online LinkedIn page, she attended Moira House Girls' School, in Eastbourne, East Sussex, and then went to university in London.
According to an interview with the Financial Times in April, this has led some in the industry to label her the "black-widow spider". She is reported to have previously been a model and a chambermaid, but is best known for having campaigned for transparency in investment and pension funds.
Speaking about a time she asked three men at an industry party why they were staring at her, she told the paper: "One of them replied that I was a disgrace and that my lobbying efforts would bring down the entire City." She co-founded the investment firm SCM Private in 2009.
Her charity, the True and Fair Foundation, formerly known as Miller Philanthropy, was launched in 2009. 'Black widow spider'
She and her hedge fund manager husband, Alan, launched their True and Fair Foundation - formerly known as Miller Philanthropy - in 2009.
The foundation says it supports smaller charities by providing funding and support. Charity Commission records show it spent £135,982 in 2015.The foundation says it supports smaller charities by providing funding and support. Charity Commission records show it spent £135,982 in 2015.
'All leavers now' Ms Miller also launched the True and Fair Campaign in 2012, which campaigns against mis-selling and hidden fund charges in the City of London's fund management industry.
According to an interview with the Financial Times in April, this has led some in the industry to label her the "black widow spider".
Speaking about a time she asked three men at an industry party why they were staring at her, she told the paper: "One of them replied that I was a disgrace and that my lobbying efforts would bring down the entire City."
Ms Miller launched the Brexit legal case along with London-based Spanish hairdresser Deir Dos Santos and the People's Challenge group, set up by Grahame Pigney and backed by a crowd-funding campaign.Ms Miller launched the Brexit legal case along with London-based Spanish hairdresser Deir Dos Santos and the People's Challenge group, set up by Grahame Pigney and backed by a crowd-funding campaign.
Three London law firms - Mishcon de Reya, Edwin Coe and Bindmans - agreed to take up the case They argued the government could not invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - starting the formal process of the UK leaving the EU - without seeking approval from Parliament.
Ms Miller has argued that only Parliament can make a decision that leads to the loss of her "rights" under EU law. Three London law firms - Mishcon de Reya, Edwin Coe and Bindmans - agreed to take up the case.
But she has stressed throughout that the challenge is not an attempt to overturn the referendum decision, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are all leavers now." Ms Miller argued that only Parliament could make a decision leading to the loss of her "rights" under EU law.
Speaking after the High Court announced its verdict, Ms Miller told the BBC the case was about scrutinising the details of Brexit, such as "how we leave, how they're going to negotiate, the directions of travel the government will take". But she has stressed throughout that the challenge was not an attempt to overturn the referendum decision, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are all leavers now."
'All leavers now'
On November 3, three judges ruled Parliament must vote on when the process can begin.
Speaking after the verdict, Ms Miller told the BBC the case was about scrutinising the details of Brexit, such as "how we leave, how they're going to negotiate, the directions of travel the government will take".
She said: "What we're saying is, very simply, you can't have it both ways. You can't talk about getting back a sovereign Parliament and being in control but at the same time then bypass it."She said: "What we're saying is, very simply, you can't have it both ways. You can't talk about getting back a sovereign Parliament and being in control but at the same time then bypass it."
Ms Miller added that the challenge was about more than Brexit.Ms Miller added that the challenge was about more than Brexit.
"This case is far more fundamental than that. "This case is far more fundamental than that. It is about any government, any prime minister, in the future being able to take away people's rights without consulting Parliament.
"It is about any government, any prime minister, in the future being able to take away people's rights without consulting Parliament.
"We cannot have a democracy like that. That isn't a democracy, that is verging on dictatorship.""We cannot have a democracy like that. That isn't a democracy, that is verging on dictatorship."
'Elephant in the room'
She has described herself as neither a leave, not a remain campaigner.
Asked whether she was "a remainer to your boots", she told BBC's Andrew Marr Show she had campaigned for "remain, reform and review" during the referendum.
But she said the case was now not about the referendum result, but "how we leave the EU".
"The elephant in the room is actually about leaving the EU, it is not about reversing leaving the EU.
"The case is that she cannot use something called the royal prerogative to do it, because we do not live in a tinpot dictatorship, we live in a country that has a sovereign Parliament."
She told UKIP leader Nigel Farage on the programme that "everyone in the country" should be her "biggest fan" following the controversial court case.
"This is about creating legal certainty and actually, everyone in the country should be my biggest fan because I've used my own money and a few of us we have used our own money to create legal certainty for Mrs May to move ahead."
Rape threats
Some newspapers have focussed on Ms Miller's private life, and her former marriage. However, she said "everyone has a past" and it was "totally irrelevant" to the importance of the case.
She has also spoken about the abuse she suffered following the ruling.
"I was aware there would be nastiness because anything to do with the word Brexit, people lose their minds and it's all about heart. Actually it is about your head and your heart."
She told BBC Radio 5 live she plans to report online trolls to police after receiving rape and beheading threats.
She also told the Andrew Marr Show she was appalled by fierce criticism of the High Court judges who ruled on the case in the press.
Ms Miller said "that is unforgivable", saying she is "a nobody and they are "the biggest brains in this country".
"They are what make us great. "