UK govt set to publish full Brexit legal advice after contempt vote

UK MPs prepared for publication of the full legal advice on Brexit after they voted overnight to hold the government in contempt for refusing to do so.

The advice was expected to be released on Wednesday morning, ahead of prime minister's question time, and before a debate on the security implications of Brexit.

Sterling dropped to a year's low of $1.2665 and again fell below $1.27 early on Wednesday before clambering back above that level as the morning wore on.

MPs held the historic vote after ministers refused to publish the full document. The vote was carried by 311 to 293 as six parties, including the government's confidence and supply allies, the Democratic Unionists dealt a devastating blow to the government's authority.

They also forced through a vote that would give them a final say on next steps if Prime Minister Theresa May's deal is defeated next Tuesday. An earlier attempt to place all issues before a committee of MPs was slapped down.

Former Conservative chief whip Mark Harper said, the former Tory chief whip May should demand the EU agree to remove the so-called Irish "backstop" provision of the deal which he said would divide Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

“She should listen to Conservative colleagues … It would undermine the UK common market and threaten the integrity of the UK by creating a customs and regulatory border down the Irish Sea,” he told the BBC.

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer described the contempt vote defeat as “badge of shame”.

“By treating parliament with contempt, the government has proved it has lost its majority and the respect of the house. The prime minister can’t keep pushing parliament away or avoiding responsible scrutiny,” he said.

A parliamentary committee must now decide what sanction to impose. It has the power to suspend a minister, with Attorney-General Geoffrey Cox in the frame, although the vote's intention seemed to be to turn the screw on the government.

The second motion, tabled by pro-EU former Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve, giving parliament a greater say over what happened next if May's deal fell on December 11, was carried by 321 votes to 299. It was backed by 26 Tory rebels.

“MPs are tonight starting the process of taking back control. No longer must the will of parliament – reflecting the will of the people – be diminished," Grieve said.

“Parliament must now take back control and then give the final decision back to the public because, in the end, only the people can sort this out.”

Supporters hope the amendment will stop the government trying to force a no-deal Brexit, or imposing a plan B.