Leaked Brexit legal advice shows Britain would be trapped “indefinitely” in customs union
Leaked legal advice from the government’s attorney general Geoffrey Cox claims that Britain would be trapped “indefinitely” in a customs union with Brussels if MPs back Theresa May’s Brexit deal.
In the letters to cabinet ministers last month, Cox warns that the backstop arrangement agreed with Brussels last month could “endure indefinitely”, with Cox adding that the only way Britain could escape the measure would be to sign a new trade deal.
The leaked advice, which was disclosed to the Sunday Times over the weekend, will likely anger many Brexiters in the Commons, many of whom voiced their concerns about the backstop arrangement long before a deal was reached in November, and have opposed the deal as a result of its inclusion.
Theresa May’s government has suppressed the legal advice so far, amidst calls from opposition parties to publish it in full. In the last few days, opposition parties are believed to have considered seeking a contempt of court motion against the government if the advice is not published.
May avoids legal battle with parliament over Brexit advice
Theresa May’s government is at risk of being declared in contempt of parliament, for not publishing the legal advice for Brexit given to the cabinet.
The attorney general, Geoffrey Cox, is scheduled to brief the Commons about his advice on the Brexit plan on Monday afternoon, and will also take questions from MPs, in an unusual move aimed at appeasing MPs who would seek to push for contempt of parliament.
Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said that his party would “start contempt proceedings” if May’s government did not publish the advice, and it is believed Labour is in discussions with other parties to push for the motion.
“If they don’t produce it tomorrow then we will start contempt proceedings, and this will be a collision course between the government and parliament,” he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge show.
Labour likely to seek no-confidence motion in May’s government if Brexit vote is lost
Labour is likely to push for a no-confidence motion in Theresa May’s government, if the House votes against her Brexit deal when it reaches parliament on 11 December, Keir Starmer has said.
Speaking on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday show, the shadow Brexit secretary said it was almost certain that his party would seek a vote of no-confidence in the government, saying it would be near-impossible for May to stay in power if the vote was lost.
Speaking on Sunday, Starmer said: “I think the prime minister, as we all know, is going to struggle between now and that vote,”
“We need to see what that is. But it seems to me that if the prime minister has lost a vote of that sort of significance, then there has to be a question of confidence in her government,” he said, adding: “I think it’s inevitable that we will seek to move that.”
Javid dismisses report saying MPs Brexit vote could be postponed
Home secretary Sajid Javid, has dismissed a report in today’s Sun newspaper, which said government whips were considering pulling next week’s MPs vote on Brexit as they think defeat is inevitable.
On Monday, the Sun printed: “Government whips have discussed plans to seek further concessions from the EU before putting the deal to MPs.”
“The plan would see Mrs May return either with decisive concessions to win over Brexit rebels – or final proof that she tried her best”
Speaking on the Today programme, Javid said: “I don’t think there’s any chance of pulling the vote,” though he did not say the story was false.
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