BBC’s scrolling update perfectly timed to reveal the truth about May’s backstop claim
The BBC has a deserved reputation for routinely acting as a stenographer or amplifier of the Tory government’s claims and narratives – but today, by chance or design, it exposed Theresa May’s exaggerations in the middle of her speech to MPs during the Commons debate about her ‘new’ Brexit deal.
May had just claimed that Attorney General Geoffrey Cox had “changed his legal analysis” and concluded that the deal was “a materially new legal commitment” when the BBC News channel’s scrolling updates revealed that Cox had delivered a very different verdict:
In fact, Cox had said – and had refused to change his legal opinion in spite of pressure from the government – that the legal risk of the UK being ‘trapped indefinitely in the [Northern Irish] backstop’ “remains unchanged”.
May’s deal is expected to be heavily defeated again this evening after both the DUP and the ERG (‘European Research Group’ of Tory MPs) said they will join Labour in voting against it, although May’s time-wasting is thought to have pressured twenty or so Tory MPs to switch to backing her dismal ‘deal’.
SKWAWKBOX comment:
May has form for such duplicity.
If she is defeated again, how can she claim to have the confidence of the House, let alone of the nation? Potential defeats in votes on Philip Hammond’s ‘spring statement’ quasi-budget might not be the only confidence issue May faces this week, although the shameless ERG is likely to again side with her on a confidence vote even though she is clearly the lamest of lame-duck PMs.
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I didn’t understand this article which said the sub-titles contradicted what May stated. Surely they just plified them. Have I misread?
“when the BBC News channel’s scrolling updates revealed that Cox had delivered a very different verdict:”
May’s duplicitous non-deal defeated by 149 votes. The next few days will be interesting
… or just more of a tedious shit-storm that has simply proved the asinine stupidity of the whole thing.
What amazes me is that there are so many in the country that simply haven’t grasped that this was not a credible result for a constitutional referendum.. it was a minority vote. Some dimwit on the radio this morning said something like ‘What if I didn’t like the result of a general election? Would I have another vote?’ – totally missing the point that this is precisely what happens with simple majoritarian votes. It’s called ‘the next election’. Doh!
More grist to the mill for a more informed vote as the only way out of the mess of misunderstanding and con artistry.
The question on everyone’s lips now surely is when is Corbyn going to try another vote of No Confidence?
After this fiasco technically the government should lose. However, many MPs are afraid to go back to the electorate.
Scrap fixed term parliament.
I can’t see government turkeys voting for Christmas, dim as they are!