Yesterday saw the publication of Attorney-General Geoffrey Cox's legal advice on the Irish backstop. It is, as many have said, rather unexceptional, confirming that the backstop will apply post-transition 'unless and until' it is superseded. 1/
It can only be superseded by a future agreement which guarantees that there will be no hard border in Ireland. And it can only be superseded by agreement between the UK and the EU. 2/
Brexiters who are alarmed by the advice, or who see it as a trap, are either feigning surprise, or (perish the thought) perhaps they have not read the Withdrawal Agreement properly. 3/
The bigger story is that this is just the most recent example of the Government treating Parliament with contempt. It has not levelled with Parliament or the public about Brexit. It goes to extreme lengths to arrogate power to itself. 4/
Think back to the impact assessments, the legal challenge in Miller, the disregard of the Sewel Convention, pairing breaches, and the Henry VIII powers in the Withdrawal Act. Taking back control is looking like a sinister power grab. See more here: theconversation.com/brexit-legal-a… 5/5
