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BRITAIN-EU-BREXIT-POLITICS
British government loses key parliament vote on Brexit
LONDON, Dec 4, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The British government suffered a major
blow on Tuesday when it lost a parliamentary vote on legal advice it received
on the Brexit deal agreed with EU leaders last month.
A motion by the main opposition Labour Party to find the government in
contempt of parliament for failing to publish the advice was passed by 311
MPs in favour to 293 against.
The government reacted to the defeat by saying it would published the
“final and full” advice on Wednesday.
Opponents believe the advice will reveal Attorney General Geoffrey Cox’s
misgivings about the Brexit agreement.
The parliamentary vote has delayed a speech by Prime Minister Theresa May
at the start of five days of debate on the deal itself before a final vote on
December 11 which the government is expected to lose.
May was still due to address parliament later on Tuesday.
Labour’s Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said: “This House has now spoken and
it’s of huge constitutional and political significance. It is, I think
unprecedented for this House to find government ministers in contempt”.
BSS/AFP/MRI/2320 hrs