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Corbyn exposes May's hypocrisy over withholding Brexit legal advice

JEREMY CORBYN exposed Theresa May’s hypocrisy in her withholding of Brexit legal advice yesterday by surprising her with a letter she had sent to the last Labour government that demanded they publish the legal advice they had received over the Iraq War.

During Prime Minister’s Questions the Labour leader urged the PM to reveal to MPs the “warts and all” legal advice on her unpopular Brexit deal so that they can make an informed decision over whether to let it pass through parliament on December 11.

He said she should “practise what she preached” and told MPs that she, as shadow leader of the Commons, had written to the then PM Gordon Brown in 2007 to demand the legal advice on invading Iraq.

Ms May said she will publish a “summary” while insisting she is not obliged to hand over the full advice from attorney general Geoffrey Cox, as the “advice any client received from their lawyer is privileged. That’s the same for government.”

The letter was a “dossier” of 100 cases that claimed to show the Labour government had breached the Ministerial Code.

One document said: “It emerged in April 2005 that Mr Blair did not tell his Cabinet about crucial legal advice on Iraq ... It was never shown to Cabinet or MPs, as Mr Blair should have under the Ministerial Code.”

Mr Corbyn also mocked her claims about her deal, which was agreed by the EU on Sunday, that it is the best for the country, by saying: “It’s not hard to be the best deal if it’s the only deal … by definition, it’s also the worst deal.”

He called the deal on offer “just a 26-page wish list” that MPs of all stripes are “queueing up” to oppose.

Ms May rejected his criticism and fired back by saying that her “weekend shopping list is longer” than Labour’s six tests for Brexit.

Mr Corbyn also said: “This is the most shambolic government in living memory.

“Asking Parliament to vote on the basis of a 26-page wish list without even seeing the full legal advice.

“It’s now clear Parliament will not back this plan.

“Isn’t it time for her to accept that reality and make way for an alternative plan that will work for the whole country?”

 

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