May facing new Brexit hurdle from Labour Party

Contempt proceedings being mulled ahead of parliament vote

LONDON: Britain’s main opposition Labour Party said it would press for contempt proceedings against the government if Prime Minister Theresa May fails to produce the full legal advice she has received on her Brexit deal.

The threat is yet another hurdle for May to clear before parliament votes on Dec 11 on her deal for Britain’s exit from the European Union.

With the odds looking stacked against her, May is touring the country and media studios to try to win over critics including both eurosceptics and europhiles who say the deal will leave Britain a diminished state, still linked economically to the EU but no longer having any say over the rules.

May often says her deal will protect jobs and end free movement.

She hopes her argument that it is the only feasible deal with the EU and that voting it down will raise the risks of a “no-deal” Brexit or no Brexit at all will concentrate minds.

Labour has said it will vote against the deal.

Its Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer, increased the pressure on May by saying Labour would start contempt proceedings against the government if it did not publish its legal advice.

He also said Labour would seek a vote of no confidence in the government if she lost the vote, a widely forecast outcome.

“In nine days’ time, parliament has got to take probably the most important decision it has taken for a generation and it’s obviously important that we know the full legal implications of what the prime minister wants us to sign up to,” Starmer said.

“I don’t want to go down this path ... (but) if they don’t produce it then we will start contempt proceedings.”

British media said the contempt move was also supported by the small Northern Irish party which props up May’s minority government, underlining her precarious position in parliament.

The government has promised to give lawmakers access to the legal analysis of the Brexit deal.

Opposition parties suspect it will only offer a summary of that advice.

Interior minister Sajid Javid said yesterday that the parliamentary vote will go ahead rejecting media speculation that the government might not go ahead with the vote because they could lose it.

“I don’t think there is any chance of pulling the vote. I just don’t see that happening,” Javid told BBC radio.

“This vote is taking place, as planned, and many MPs (lawmakers) are considering how they may or may not vote.”

Javid also said details of Britain’s post-Brexit immigration system would not be published before the vote but he said it would bring net migration down to a sustainable level. — Reuters