Attorney general says May’s new deal can still leave UK in backstop against its will.
In a huge blow to the PM the Attorney general, Geoffrey Cox, has indicated that the UK could still be trapped in the backstop, even after the concessions May negotiaited last night.
The government’s top lawyer did say the prime minister’s efforts had reduced the risk of being trapped in the backstop however he admitted it could still happen.
Theresa May is to put her new deal before MPs this evening, and it looks now as if she will suffer another heavy defeat.
Keir Starmer said that the government’s Brexit strategy was “in tatters”. Starmer said: “Attorney General confirms that there have been no significant changes to the Withdrawal Agreement despite the legal documents that were agreed last night.”
Daniel Hannan, the former MEP an arch Eurosceptic was not impressed with Cox’s conclusion. reports, unsurprisingly He tweeted: Eurosceptics were looking for just one thing: reassurance that Britain would not be swapping an arrangement that has an exit clause (EU membership) for one that does not (the backstop). Geoffrey Cox’s advice makes clear that no such concession has been made.
The pound fell sharply after the UK attorney general made his comments regarding May’s new deal.
UPDATE:
Geoffrey Cox appearing before the House of Commons set out the choice he insisted MPs have to make – a political one, as the legal risk for the UK of the backstop remained:
Update: It appars DUP and ERG MPs will vote against the PM.
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