DUP: What is the government hiding in its Brexit legal advice?

DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds said listening has been the ‘problem all along’ with Conservative government, as he and Labour pushed for the publication of the full legal advice provided by attorney general Geoffrey Cox on the deal.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer accused ministers of showing ‘contempt’ for the Commons over the matter, while senior Liberal Democrat Tom Brake confirmed he has written to Speaker John Bercow asking whether the government’s response to the motion approved by MPs is a matter of contempt.

MPs earlier this month approved a Labour motion which called for the publication of any legal advice in full on the proposed Withdrawal Agreement, with the government committing to only giving a ‘full, reasoned position statement’ and offering a question and answer session in the Commons with Cox.

Opposition parties and others want to consider the advice ahead of the December 11 vote on the Brexit agreement.

Speaking during an urgent question on the matter, the DUP’s Nigel Dodds said solicitor general Robert Buckland had repeated offers which were not accepted by the Commons.

He added: ‘So why doesn’t the solicitor general listen and the government start listening?

‘This has been the problem all along. What is it they have to hide?’

Buckland, in his reply, said: ‘This is not an incidence where the gvernment seeks to delay or hide – this is all about providing information at the right time ahead of the important debate I know he’ll be playing an important part in.’

Sir Keir, moving the urgent question, earlier said: ‘It is wholly unacceptable – and frankly shows contempt for this House – for government ministers, including the prime minister at the despatch box yesterday, now to pretend that the House was only asking for partial or qualified legal advice.’

Mr Buckland said Sir Keir’s request was ‘wholly premature’.

He told the Commons: ‘The attorney general is coming to this House on the next sitting day (December 3).

‘He will make a full statement, he will answer questions from honourable members right across this House, and it might be then for the House to judge whether or not the government has discharged its obligations consistent with the Humble Address, but not before.’

Former minister Brake added: ‘Can the solicitor general confirm whether the government will fight any contempt proceedings, has he identified in government who will be the subject of contempt proceedings, and does he agree that this latest snub to Parliament leaves Members of Parliament with a sneaking suspicion that when it comes to the vote on December 11 and any votes that come after, the Government may decide to play fast and loose with what is the normal procedure in this place?’

Buckland said he was being asked to speculate on matters that ‘might not arise’, adding: ‘There is no snub to Parliament. It’s a wholly confected controversy that actually detracts from the real issues that we should be debating and will be looking at next week.’