British Public Don't Need To See Brexit Legal Advice: Solicitor General
4 December 2018, 11:39 | Updated: 4 December 2018, 13:55
Robert Buckland said that the British public don't need to see the legal advice, which was issued to the government, in full as they've already got the highlights.
John Bercow has claimed that the government may have broken parliamentary rules by failing to fully release details of legal advice received on Brexit.
In response to this, Robert Buckland, Conservative MP and Solicitor General, told Tom Swarbrick that the British public don't need to see the advice in full as they already have the legal position, stating that "there's nothing more to see".
The Solicitor General explained that there is a long-standing constitutional convention which allows government lawyers to freely advise the government as to their legal position, and is not unlike any lawyer-client privilege.
Tom Swarbrick pointed out that the government answer to parliament, and that parliament would like to see the legal advice, in response to which Mr Buckland indicated out that they had already published a comprehensive legal position paper for MPs and members of the public
After Tom Swarbrick retorted that the paper doesn't show the full advice, the Solicitor General pointed out that the Attorney had answered questions on the legal advice for two hours in the House of Commons and said "there's nothing more to see here, move on."
Regarding the full legal advice, the Solicitor General said that he didn't think the public were "at all interested" and that the "concocted diversion is being used as some sort of parlour gain by the opposition is wholly unwelcome and will be seen for the cynical ploy that it is".
Mr Buckland expressed his opinion was that the situation was being "used by the opposition to cause maximum mischief".
The Solicitor General also went on to explain that the UK would technically be able to revoke the Brexit agreement in the future, if things turned out unfavourablly for the UK.
In the run up to the parliamentary vote on Brexit the 11th December, Robert Buckland also told Tom Swarbrick that he thinks Theresa May is the right person to steer Brexit.
"We need the Prime Minister in place. She has attracted a huge amount of respect for her dogged determination to get this sorted. I don't think there's anybody better in place to do it."
"I think we need to give her our confidence to get on with the job. I sincerely hope we can win but I'll wait to see what happens with the vote, but I'm sure she is the right person to steer this".
Tom Swarbrick pointed out that the MP had given a good explanation for whether she 'should' stay on, but that he was asking whether she 'can', in response to which Mr Buckland said he thought she 'can' and that "there's more than a will within the Conservative party for that to happen."
He continued, "most of us realise that to try and change the pilot now in the middle of this navigation would be wrong, the country would wonder what on earth we are doing. We have a responsibility to the country to get on with the job, she feels that, and I think she should be allowed to steer the course."
