Secret legal advice warned the Cabinet the Irish backstop is designed to last forever if trade talks breakdown.
The document, drawn up by Attorney General Geoffrey Cox for senior ministers, said the measure is 'intended to subsist even when negotiations have broken down'.
He told the Cabinet that 'despite statements in the Protocol it is not intended to be permanent and the clear intention of the parties that it should be replaced by alternative, permanent arrangements, in international law the protocol would endure indefinitely until a superseding agreement took its place.'
Mr Cox said it was impossible for Britain to escape the backstop unilaterally and it was a political deal with Brussels was the only way out.
Earlier, MPs were warned they would live to 'regret' forcing the Government to publish the document.
Tory rebels joined forces with Labour to consign Mrs May to three humbling defeats in 63 minutes of chaos last night - the worst hour in Parliament for any Prime Minister in 40 years.
Both Leave and Remain MPs wanted the advice amid suspicion Attorney General Geoffrey Cox gave a bleaker assessment of how the deal works privately to Cabinet than he revealed publicly on Monday.
Mrs Leadsom said ministers would now follow the orders of Parliament but said it undermined 'decades if not centuries of convention' where ministers received advice from the law officers in secret.
She said: 'I think any parliamentarian who wants at some point in the future to be in Government is going to live to regret their vote last night.'
As Mrs May and her deal face near certain defeat next week Mrs Leadsom insisted she was the right leader 'at the moment'.
The latest blow to Mrs May's Brexit plan comes after yesterday's historic triple defeat in the Commons lobbies.
The Prime Minister will face MPs again today as she returns to the Despatch Box for PMQs at noon.
In the most damaging defeat, 26 Tory rebels sided with Labour to push through an amendment that would let MPs step in if her deal is defeated next week.
The five-day Brexit deal debate will continue this afternoon after it adjourned at just after 1am this morning.
Mrs May's ailing hopes of winning the vote on Tuesday took another blow today as former chief whip Mark Harper joined the ranks of Tory MPs pledged to vote No.
Mr Harper demanded the PM 'listen to Conservative colleagues' and tell Brussels to strip the Irish border backstop out of the deal.
Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom confirmed it would be published around 11.30am today with 'regret' after Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street today) suffered an historic triple defeat in the Commons.
Mrs Leadsom (pictured in Westminster today) said ministers would follow the orders of Parliament but said it undermined 'decades if not centuries of convention'.
Mrs Leadsom told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It was incredibly disappointing that the House of Commons decided to vote in effect to overturn what has been decades, if not centuries, of conventions whereby the law officer's advice to Cabinet and to ministers are not even acknowledged, let alone published.
'The Attorney General had come to the House for two-and-a-half hours, which is also unprecedented in these many years, to answer questions to give his very best legal advice.
'He published a 48-page document that outlined all of the legal impact of the Withdrawal Agreement, so the vote yesterday of the House to require the specific legal advice to Cabinet we will comply with, but not without some regret.'
Mrs Leadsom continued: 'Going forward, not only will Government ministers be very careful about what they ask law officers to give advice on, but law officers themselves will be very reluctant to give any advice to Government that they might then see published on the front pages of the newspapers, so it's the principle of the thing.
'And frankly I think any parliamentarian who wants at some point in the future to be in Government is going to live to regret their vote last night.'
Mrs Leadsom said the impact of Mr Grieve's amendment could make a no deal Brexit both more and less likely, depending on how MPs react.
She said MPs should vote for Mrs May's deal because while it was not perfect was the 'best combination we are going to get'.
Admitting she was unhappy with the Irish border backstop, she insisted it was also 'not in the EU's interest' for Britain to be locked into it indefinitely.'
Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab said it would be 'inconceivable' to stop the UK leaving the EU, saying it would be wrong to 'pull a handbrake up on Brexit'.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the deal is 'lousy', and said: 'If the deal is voted down on Tuesday I think what will matter most of all will not be what Parliament says in a motion - it will need legislation to stop Brexit - what will matter is the will and resolve in Number 10 Downing Street.'
Mrs May's ailing hopes of winning the vote on Tuesday took another blow today as former chief whip Mark Harper (file image) joined the ranks of Tory MPs pledged to vote No
Last night, Mrs May tried to keep her plan alive with a rousing speech to the Commons, in which she warned 'Brexit could be stopped' entirely if it is voted down on Tuesday.
She acknowledged criticism of her 'compromise' deal, but said: 'We should not let the search for the perfect Brexit prevent a good Brexit that delivers for the British people.
'And we should not contemplate a course that fails to respect the result of the referendum, because it would decimate the trust of millions of people in our politics for a generation.'
Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general, led the rebellion which could effectively takes a no-deal exit off the table.
He claimed it could lead to a second referendum, adding: 'MPs are tonight starting the process of taking back control.'
Downing Street must now hope that the threat of Parliament blocking a no-deal Brexit convinces some Eurosceptic opponents of her deal to change their minds before the meaningful vote.
However, a number of high profile, and previously loyal, Tory MPs rebelled during the series of defeats last night – including Michael Fallon and Damian Green.
And in a clear indication that the Prime Minister's 'confidence and supply' deal with the DUP is fractured beyond repair, the Northern Irish party warned her it did not fear another election.
Downing Street had hoped the threat of a general election would bring the DUP to heel, because it could bring the pro-Nationalist Jeremy Corbyn to power.
But the party voted against the Government last night, with Nigel Dodds, the party's Westminster leader, telling Mrs May his party was ready to spark another poll. He added: 'I'm certain we will be returned in greater numbers.'
Attorney General Geoffrey Cox (pictured in the Commons yesterday) had faced the prospect of being suspended from parliament after he refused to publish the legal advice
In other developments in yesterday's day of drama:
- The PM promised to listen to Tory MPs worried about the so-called Irish backstop, saying she would 'consider how we can go further' to reassure it will not leave the UK in a customs union in the long term;
- Mrs May also offered to give MPs a 'more formal role' in steering the trade talks with the EU after the UK has left next year;
- Tory shop steward Sir Graham Brady said he accepted the need for compromise, but urged Mrs May 'in the strongest possible terms' to identify a clear route out of the backstop;
- Boris Johnson was heckled by moderate Tories as he attacked Mrs May's plan and urged MPs to vote against it next week;
- Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg insisted next week's crunch vote would be close and dismissed 'ridiculously inflated' claims about the scale of the rebellion;
- A senior Toyota executive warned a no-deal Brexit could result in 'stop-start production' for weeks or months at its UK plant;
- Bank of England governor Mark Carney warned such a course could result in food prices rising by 10 per cent;
- The European Court of Justice's senior lawyer said Article 50, which started the Brexit process, could be revoked unilaterally by the UK;
- The BBC dropped plans for a televised Brexit showdown involving Mrs May and Mr Corbyn on Sunday night;
- Brexiteer Cabinet minister Chris Grayling publicly backed Mrs May's deal for the first time.
In her speech last night the PM admitted that both Remainers and Brexiteers have been left dissatisfied by parts of her deal.
But she said the 'hard truth' is that the compromise she has thrashed out with Brussels is the only deal which delivers on the historic vote and protects jobs.
She said: 'I know there are some in this House and in the country who would prefer a closer relationship with the European Union than the one I'm proposing, indeed who would prefer the relationship that we currently have and want another referendum.
'Although I profoundly disagree, they are arguing for what they believe is right for our country and I respect that.
'But the hard truth is that we will not settle this issue and bring our country together that way and I ask them to think what it would say to the 52 per cent who came out to vote Leave, in many cases for the first time in decades, if their decision were ignored.'
The PM added: 'There are others in this House who would prefer a more distant relationship than the one I'm proposing and although I don't agree, I know they're also arguing for what they think is best for our future and I respect that too.
'But the hard truth is also that we will not settle this issue and bring our country together if in delivering Brexit we do not protect the trade and security cooperation on which so many jobs and lives depend, completely ignoring the views of the 48 per cent.
Mrs May said the 'only solution that will endure' is one that addresses the concerns of both sides of the debate.
But she faced a fiery Commons session as leading Brexiteers lashed her plan, while the DUP - who are propping the Tories up in No10 - said they would be happy to have another general election.
Boris Johnson, who has become the PM's fiercest critic since quitting as Foreign Secretary over her Brexit plan, said the deal is a failure.
He told the Commons: 'I can't believe there is a single member of this House who sincerely believes that this is a good deal for the UK.
'You can tell that the government's hearts are not in it
'You can tell that they know it is a disaster because after two and a half years this deal has done an amazing thing it has brought us together – remainers and leavers in the belief that it is a national humiliation that makes a mockery of Brexit.
'There will be no proper free trade deals. We will not take back control of our laws and for the government to continue to suggest otherwise is to do violence to the normal meaning of words.
'We will give up £39bn for nothing. We will not really be taking back control of our borders.'
While Nigel Dodds, the DUP's Westminster leader has said he would be 'happy' to have another general election to prove the party has support in Northern Ireland for blocking the PM's Brexit deal.
He said: 'We will happily go to the electorate and put our views to the people if needs be, and I'm quite certain we would be returned in greater numbers than today.'
A slew of MPs had condemned ministers for refusing to release the full Brexit deal legal advice in a fiery Commons showdown today.
It had pitted Mrs May's authority and support against the accumulated strength of her opposition - which spanned both Brexiteers and Remainers.
But admitting defeat and announcing the legal advice will be published tomorrow, Mrs Leadsom said: 'We have tested the opinion of the House twice on this very serious subject...
'We will publish the final and full advice provided by the Attorney General to Cabinet.'
The dramatic row erupted after the Government refused to publish the full legal advice despite losing a vote in the Commons last month requiring them to.
Instead they said published a 'full reasoned position' laying out a summary of the legal advice.
But critics accused ministers of keeping secret the most explosive parts of Mr Cox's advice.
Sir Keir warned that ministers were committing contempt of Parliament and used the arcane parliamentary tactics to heap pressure on No10.
If Mrs May had still refused to publish the legal advice then MPs would have debated how to enforce their contempt motion in a debate tomorrow.
They could have voted to hold specific named minsters responsible and to mete out punishments to them - including suspending them from Parliament.
Cabinet Minister Mrs Leadsom said the Government was defending an important principle that legal advice should stay confidential.
And she warned that while the Government will publish the full legal advice, they are very alarmed at the use of arcane parliamentary procedure to force them to publish secret information.
She said she has written to the Privileges Committee to ask them to investigate the phenomenon.
A government-backed amendment to kill off the attempt to hold Mr Cox in contempt by sending the matter to the Privileges Committee was defeated by 311 votes to 307.
Kicking off the constitutional clash in the the chamber this afternoon, Sir Keir accused ministers of ignoring a 'binding motion' passed by the Commons.
'That is contempt,' he said.
The standoff between the House and the government is thought to be unprecedented in modern times.
Ministers had insisted legal confidentiality is an important point of principle and revealing the material would hurt the national interest.
Instead they published a 40-plus page assessment of the package thrashed out with Brussels.
Mr Cox, who is the Government's chief legal adviser, had staunchly defended the decision to withhold the advice in a marathon appearance in the House - telling MPs 'there is nothing to see here'.
Mr Cox had asked MPs to suppose the advice included details on relationships with foreign states and arguments that might be deployed in the future, noting: 'Would it be right for the Attorney General, regardless of the harm to the public interest, to divulge his opinion.
'I say it wouldn't.'
But MPs are convinced that the most explosive parts of his legal advice has been kept secret.
The Sunday Times said in a letter sent last month to Cabinet ministers, he advised the only way out of the backstop - designed to prevent the return of a hard border with the Republic - once it was invoked was to sign a new trade deal, a process which could take years.
'The protocol would endure indefinitely,' he apparently wrote.
The letter was said to be so sensitive that ministers were given numbered copies to read which they were not allowed to take from the room afterwards.
In a day of high political drama, Mr Grieve's amendment to hand power to MPs if the PM's Brexit deal is voted down next week was passed with the help of over two dozen Tory rebels.
If - as widely expected - the PM fails to get her deal approved she must return to the Commons within 21 days to give a statement on what she will do next.
The amendment allows MPs to amend this motion - effectively giving them the power to tell ministers what to do.
Critics insist that the instructions will not be legally binding, but it would pile so much pressure on ministers it may be politically impossible for them to ignore the demands.
And the BBC confirmed it had dropped plans for the televised Brexit head to head between Mrs May and Mr Corbyn after labour refused to sign up to it.
How Parliament can take back control: After Tory rebels defeated the Government this is how MPs can try and shape Brexit if May's deal is defeated
Tory rebels took a major step toward giving Parliament control over Brexit by inflicting a huge defeat on the Prime Minister last night.
Remainer Dominic Grieve was joined by 25 Tory rebels to re-write the rules on what happens if and when Theresa May's deal is defeated in the Commons next week.
It means the Commons now has the chance to vote for alternatives - including possible a second referendum, a new election or extending the Article 50 process.
Remainer Dominic Grieve (pictured yesterday in the Commons) was joined by 25 Tory rebels to re-write the rules on what happens if and when Theresa May's deal is defeated in the Commons next week
What happened last night?
Tory Remain rebel Dominic Grieve defeated the Government to change what happens next if Theresa May's Brexit deal is defeated in the Commons next week.
His amendment was carried by 321 to 299 after 26 Conservative MPs defied orders to vote in favour of it.
What does Dominic Grieve's amendment do?
The amendment changes the rules on what happens next if Mrs May's Brexit deal is defeated next Tuesday night.
By law, following a defeat the Government must make a statement on what it will do and then holding a Commons vote on it. Before last night, this would have been a simple motion noting the statement that could not be amended.
Now MPs will be able to try and re-write it with amendments.
What can the new amendments be about?
Amendments to the motion could try to give instructions to the Government on what to do next instead of simply accepting or rejecting the plan shown to them.
This could be taking measures to avoid no deal, backing a second referendum, calling a general election or setting out new negotiating red lines for further talks in Brussels.
Brexit supporters could also use it to try and tell the Government to pursue no deal.
To have any impact at all, the amendments will have to win a vote of MPs.
When will the new amendments be debated and voted on?
The law says the Government must produce its next steps motion within 21 days of a defeat on its deal. This is over the Christmas recess so it is likely to be debated sooner than that, sometime between December 12 and the last day of term on December 20.
Speaker John Bercow will choose which amendments are voted on at the end of the debate.
Tory rebels took a major step toward giving Parliament control over Brexit by inflicting a huge defeat on the Prime Minister (pictured yesterday in Downing Street) last night
What will it mean if any amendments pass?
The amendments will not have any legal force but a majority vote by MPs on what to do will have a lot of political power.
Even if the vote is not in favour of current Government policy, Ministers could use it to change course - scrapping the current red lines in the negotiation to adopt a Norway-style Brexit or passing new laws for a second referendum.
What do Brexit supporters think about it?
Brexiteer MPs insist because the amendments are not legally binding, they officially change nothing. They say if Mrs May's deal is defeated, Britain is on course to leave without a deal under current laws.
This is true, legally speaking, but ignores the political power of Parliament taking control with a vote in favour of a new course of action.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/12/05/andrea-leadsom-confirms-may-will-publish-final-brexit-legal-advice/
Main photo article Secret legal advice warned the Cabinet the Irish backstop is designed to last forever if trade talks breakdown.
The document, drawn up by Attorney General Geoffrey Cox for senior ministers, said the measure is ‘intended to subsist even when negotiations have broken down’.
He told the...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/05/11/7037524-0-image-a-17_1544009843768.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий