thomas mcmanus he spotted it among the footage of scottish fans celebrating the country's national day there was one percent of a more religious than national persuasion as a result of thomas' critique we were able to edit the film in time for our main broadcast and our facebook premiere thomas told us that his wife would chuckle at this mention of his name and to do it is correct if you know and so and this week show we're open once again to anyone who supports our deliberate mistakes first we hear from lily by it and he says hello i love this in reference to the sit on tuesday sure i always shyness and just the celebration and also probably school when i was a teacher and invited the whole community to come along we had great scottish fun thinking of others by inviting people to donate to the local food bank and our toys rubber says agree scotland has a lot of this world's greatest talents yes indeed louis says good to see a scottish classical musician that was his quote i mine the scotland's music cd is

about one nine hundred ninety was the first time i heard a musical history she said like a normal country rather than reduced to a folk tradition only john says i fit enjoy this and i'm just a theory saturday alex i'm unsure lovely to hear she do wellington's all too brief rendition of burton's also think it when he's cool who are both highly enjoyable yes they were it indeed and finally martin who says a public holiday for someone to stay would be great it will come one day i'm sure we all hope so too marian and i had to break that to you more this week the house of commons started their five day long breaks debate which will determine the fate of mates breaks a deal and perhaps of the prime minister herself however this week was barely started when the government got itself embroiled in an unseemly squabble with parliament over the publication of legal advice here to what the opposing advocates had to say but first presiding on the bench and most unfortunately for the government mr speaker the formidable john bercow insisting on the right.

prerogatives of the house of commons and making it clear that no attorney general he ever so high is above the writ of parliament i have considered the matter carefully and i am satisfied that there is an arguable case but a contempt has been committed this house has now spoken on itself huge constitutional political significance it is i think unprecedented for this house to find ministers in contempt the motion makes clear the government must now published the attorney general's final legal advice in full and in light of the expressed will of the house we will publish the final and full advice provided by the attorney general to cabinet as our first guest explains the prime minister should be careful not to lose her legal advice is she may have need of them shortly alex spoke to professor here in mcgahee of king's college about the range of legal challenges now evidently confronting the prime minister welcome to the i like sam

i'm sure you are thanks very much could be you know can we charter we're through the legal minefield facing the prime minister the big surprise decision for many of the european court of justice obviously opinion of the advocate general about the rhetoric ability of article fifty how significant could that be i think it's very interesting because it means that the constitutional structure of the european union and of the u.k. is proving to be much more resilient to the threats that bret's it poses than many people thought so it means that the u.k. can unilaterally revoke notification of article fifteen to leave the european union and that could happen alternately in two ways number one parliament could if you like take back control from the executive so we do see control that's a reference to the black city or slogan jury that effort. that's right and so there's two things that could happen either parliament. say that on the liberation

perhaps even after a second referendum we don't want to leave the european union anymore and the other thing that's going to happen this friday is that there's a court case to say that the referendum was so corrupt so tainted by overspending theft of facebook data and also russian interference that the votes integrity was seriously undermined so it's a very important stepping stone to get to i think a proper constitutional basis for the future of this country so let's take these and this opening up of the options that the european court of justice i'm a deliberate and decide on how likely is the court of justice to follow its advocate general's recommendation and publish this we will advocate general's are followed by a court of justice about eighty percent of the time so it is good but from the court to justice through the court of session in edinburgh who will then after the advice of the court of justice make a deliberation which unusually would have up the cation beyond scotland but for the

whole of the u.k. and of course i think courts in scotland like the courts in the rest of the united kingdom which is a fundamentally have to apply the law and so if you've got a process which is corrupt including in bret's that referendum then i think that that's something that they're going to want to see they want to see the rule of law apply it's like every other judge so the political effect of that legal judgment is m.p.'s having been effectively presented with my way or the highway by the prime minister no have new up another option which would allow time for another referendum or indeed a general election it could do and the third option as well is that we're going to see this court case on friday about what really happened in the referendum so i think it's very important to see that there is been unprecedented in. the galaxy in

a vote so we've had over spending about six point four percent by vote leave it's a criminal offense second of all we've got the biggest fine in history on a company like facebook five hundred thousand pounds not much but a lot for a lot for facebook not much for facebook for allowing breach of its privacy but one of the biggest things that still on the result is it's clear that russia and the kremlin was organizing an operation to interfere in the poll we know that hundreds of thousands of bots on twitter the national crime agency has investigated aaron banks because allegedly their credit line clear that mr banks has not been found guilty of any crane as yet but you think a court will regard these indications from the electoral commission and the house of commons committee as serious enough to to set a site the result of a referendum i don't think that there's any one solution to the kind of serious mess that we're in a campaign right around the western world it has been interfering in the american

political process which is probably led to donald trump being in the white house that supported le pen in france it supported the f.t. in germany it's been supporting separatist groups it drummed up support for the scottish independence vote it drummed up support for the castle on independence vote and the reason why russia is keen on doing this is because it wants to weaken the resolve of the european union and the international community to take action against climate change you realize of course that president obama intervened in the scottish referendum and of course david camm i'm asked a lot of me are putin for support against scottish independence doesn't this sort of country interference with everybody else feels go on par for the course not least in america which isn't a field and elections all round the world i think that you interact we make an important point which is that we need to get back to the principle of votes being fair and free just like the universal declaration of human rights says we are entire. but if russia is interfering and the united states is interfering in any

vote this is debasing the right of citizens to choose their own government of the littlefield didn't and the else is elections but that's not the point fundamentally look i think that if that was happening and i'm sure it has its wrong but to make it a blessing on elected government in iran for example well i think that you can't get into a question of everybody's doing wrong so therefore there's no right to do courts make decisions over and above politics if we take the european court of justice ruling both the u.k. government wanted to stop the case and the european commission didn't want the european court of justice to rule that article fifty of offical so both political establishment didn't want a court to rule as it looks like it is doing so doesn't court would be that could a session an edinburgh the supreme court in london or the european court of justice

go over and above political considerations and try to examine what is the law yes that's right we don't have cases on referendums but we have cases on courts declaring m.p. elections void or council elections void because the process was corrupt so if the interference or illegality would have made the result different or if the process was so corrupt that it substantially violated the laws on elections or referendums then it common law you can say that the vote is for it from a legal perspective what's the new mall of all these huge legal and political questions all the evidence points to the deep deep corruption of the referendum because and foreign and russian interference you might be cautious about having another referendum to get out of this mess now that that said taking the legal hat off and putting on sort of citizens' hats or i think you've got to be pragmatic and perhaps it's the. right thing for another boat to take place especially given that

two out of the four nations of the united kingdom scotland and northern islands remain so if you had to guess from a legal and a political perspective is a good to be another referendum i have a bet with my constitutional students that the one pounds the government wouldn't still be in place by the end of our constitutional course the end of march. i think i might just be getting a pound from the students but the then again there's a lot of things that could happen well you know best of luck in your. students coming up after the break from the legal minefield we've moved to the political minefield facing the prime minister the commentators north and so from the border from opposite sides looking at what lies ahead for the reason.

protesters are rather saying their purchasing power has diminished because all this money printing that's going on and you mention they can't tell a fact that money printing in rich people on average in paris. and paris and those people who are working doing blue collar jobs their personal power is eroded and so they. can pamela anderson and figured out that this is a structurally violent system that they need to address with a quid pro quo violence or violence. so what we've got to do is identify the threats that we have. let it be an arms race. here in dramatic development only really. i don't see how that strategy will be successful very critical time. sit down and

tom. welcome back when the commons got down to the main motion a meaningful vote on me still things that ought to take a turn for the better for the embattled prime minister but scott not so the last divided democratic unionist to the right of our he had the guns of labor front to fire and the knives of the tory backbenchers behind i hope don't believe you were not composed but by the pores in a section thirty for scotland the scottish government wanted to put up history of opposition is not a good one and she should respect the democracy she's talking about it applies to scotland do prime minister to come i ask the prime minister in terms of guarantee northern ireland's position. she will remember that in paragraph fifty of the joint report that we spent four days negotiating there where guarantees given to northern ireland never mind the words that have been sat in this house today it was actually in the text why has stopped being deleted the deal before us would make our country

worse off i really can't believe that there is a single member of this house who seen see the believes that this deal we have before us is a good deal like politics is as much about listening to people from all sides of the debate and then doing what you believe is in our national interest and that's what i've done when it comes down to brass tacks kind of prime minister deserted by much of her party look elsewhere for support alex ask columnist for the national george kind of end of the scottish political play would be unlucky for me just going welcome to the exam and show our legs nice to be talking to you again the judges got every bit of castle there behind you and they have been to the studio but for the last two years the scottish dimension to the european debate seem to be slipping down the agenda but no this week was the case and the indication of a ruling. in the european court of justice in the revocable ity of article fifty is

back with a bang how important you believe that is well is indeed important and home is back with a bang course has always been here is just the resume and the tories were having their own little private discussion was ham this week is the people have been forced to remember that scotland isn't just a land of economists now uni alex is principally a land of lawyers and scottish lawyers people like janet cherry who force the scotland back into the debate by going to the court of justice in europe and getting this ruling that the u.k. can walk away and walk away from article fifty a walk away from leaving the e.u. if it wants to must be a bit of a i haven't is that going to be appreciated in the the hollowed halls of the court to session scottish judicial case which seems to be opening up a a new vest potentially for members of parliament to westminster well i mean our thing the must be surprised smiles at the court of session and the original scottish parliament has been taken over by the lawyers and is actually the main

scottish locals at the moment and has few lawyers now thinking well maybe scald become independent maybe those low courts will actually be the locals for an independent country some day and that's the route through that is through the european crisis now looking at the dramatic events and the house of commons this week obviously something you're very familiar with from terms of the the rules and procedures of the of the parliament to resume a superstar a divided her own party in terms of her proposal she seems to view hated the liberal party against the but simpleton the asli has alienated the ulster unionists and the scottish nationalists is that any hope a toll in your opinion for the prime minister given that landscape in the house of commons i think what we're fundamentally seeing alex is the breakup of the british parliamentary system the parliament and political parties that have existed for the last last hundred years we're seeing the labor break up but also see the tory party by. help and therefore the smaller parties like the union also unions and they're

simply they become strategic indeed the direction the parliament goes to alienate them therefore in those circumstances is just political imbecility is that any proposal get in britain's the lucian ship we europe that commands enough support to cali parliament and the people well i suspect there's there's there's quite a large voting support within the existing bloc of parties for war they're calling norway plus in other words u.k. to stay the to formally come out of the but to stay within the single market and the customs union and i suspect there are enough. center grown m.p.'s in the tory party and i suspect most labor m.p.'s would support that and the s.n.p. would support that but whether in the kind of hothouse atmosphere of westminster you could get some kind of deal brokered remain skeptical of that percent of that

that seems to be the one logical compromise that come out of all of this short of going to the country holding another referendum and in a phrase george kind of i'm a new year resolution for to be easily. let the scots go their own way to reason thank you very much jobs coven there and i'll be up to join you but we'll have a wee dram together. and so the celtic tiger might finally were just at the most inopportune moment for the prime minister and the votes are being counted in the lobbies of course she's not without her supporters and the last few days the meal and express have deserted the hard line breaks to tears and rallied to domy banner however how was consistent defender in fleet street has been celebrated columnist peter oborne he cautions alex it is too soon try to political a bit tricky for two reason me peter oborne welcome to the exam and show. thank you

very much indeed it's a huge pleasure thank you peter you've been is staunch defender of me in fact one of the only defenders and terms of columnists are you still were firm in this moment of trial for the prime minister absolutely and you know again and again the metropolitan media claussen that acolytes of trash the prime minister said he's finished going again i've pointed out no she isn't this is an indomitable a very resilient woman and again and again guess what i've been proved right she meets the ultimate test well next tuesday. in court or perhaps by nick bottom do you think she can still triumph through despite the parliamentary of affirmative it's the most difficult one yet but i think lynn after the dramatic vote in parliament on tuesday night has actually helped her even though she was defeated and roasted as no prime minister in modern times has been before but what it's

meant is this is on the publication of the legal advice of the amendment it to a low the opening up of parliamentary options and bread is this is that amendment which is meant to them means that parliament can actually sees control of the brics it process and what that means of course is that no deal which is being pursued by the brics it tears suddenly becomes very unlikely if not impossible and so no mrs may can say to the brits it's here's you either support my form of bret's it. calls or parliament will seize back control and we know that these m.p.'s for the most part a pro european anything can happen after that including people but instead in the european union is that why it is chosen michael gove perhaps not the one her most reliable of allies but he has been chosen to sum up the debate on tuesday she that he. quite she's been much shrewder only people who read my columns know this by the

way much shrewder than people understand she's brilliantly split the tory brits it's years between the boris johnson's and the david davis's and miss to go who's regarded as on the most perfidious politicians of all time on the tory right a serial traitor but he will stand up there and i can tell you now what he will say he was a i the you back mrs may and you'll get brett sit or vote and you will be no brett it's all that is the message he will be sending straight to the tory bret's it is so you still think you are a number not of the opinion unless she could still win through in these next few vital days absolutely i think that it could be that it'll take two shards but if she gets she gets a narrow defeat first time run then she will come back again and see if she can push it through second time it was a big defeat the but i think the idea that she might be defeated by two hundred

which is being put about by allies of dining scene classic expectation management in order to make a minor defeat look like a great heroic victory done coke indeed and i think that's what they're aiming for thinkin of forty is being talked of as the defeat she can wear first time around with an attempt with a bit of a massive attempt to turn it round second time but let's just say for the sake of argument that despite the prime minister's undoubted resilience the split your passionate support of her position the theater's a sore major that she has no prospect of continuing in office what then well i've got some news for you actually i would be that surprised if we got a coalition government which would include the scottish national party for instance for a while the merchants a government national government led by and this is my prediction for today. prime

minister no reserved it is called livingston david leading to the dullest of man in british politics may step forward as the prime minister the un like the prime minister you check the odd son david linton i feel implore i know you're a betting man the enormous i look at that one this is set of skill is not even all eight i mean you can get any old you like but the fact is that i think he's so boring that skeer that he will put all and so on political in a way that the corbin. and the surgeon and people will feel happy enough to work with him and then tell you that he's the that is the secret weapon the tory whips offices we've got the threat of. people over thank you so much so i see that you could use this to toast the living to improve his ship but this is for the period example show the queen of scots go it for the loving cup you know the drill whisk in the quick only scotch and then rode your many many friends world we'll

drink it on new year's eve my birthday we'll drink it chose to you put it up a scotch whisky and pass it run the obama family table my mother who is scottish will really approve fifty over the focus of one thank you very much indeed. in many ways this week's parliamentary trials and tribulations of the prime minister and the tale of two backstops first the one that's right there at the heart of her utopian agreement the one which is proving so unpalatable to m.p.'s of all persuasions and as we know from the published legal advice is no mere bagatelle instead that backstop potentially condemns the u.k. to a form of neverland between e.u. membership and the way the world. the catholic church some years ago abolished limbaugh a spot of doctrine to these m a s give that let go flash and her blanks agreement

this heartless uprising there for that is so acceptable to so many for manners it retains a vestige of membership with any of the advantages of influence over collective decision making for leavers is to partake in name only but without any of the purported advantages of the freedom to chart a new trading and economic destiny have a proposing such an arrangement was the juki of european negotiators trying hard to fill their obligations to the remaining twenty seven and then particular to that loyal european member state of ireland for the e.u. perspective it's not a punishment of the u.k. by god t. if the principles of the european union are not to incest and such a backstop would have been a an act of great shot at the by european negotiators now michelle obama is trailing was as a french goalless with charity is not related uppermost in the many otherwise fine qualities. that brings us to the second but stop the reserve position the one that

doesn't exist the prime minister was bowing to fail in negotiations as soon as a decision was made to invoke article fifty and sent on to a limited negotiation with vote any reserve position for breaks a teal's that meant preparations for new deal or even an organized new deal would be intensely damaging skydiving with a polish it is essential is safer than undertaking the same activity without one but it's still a risky endeavor however to invoke article fifty one vote this backstop was a night of lunacy for which morally i suppose a substantial majority of m.p.'s who voted for that two years ago are jointly and severally liable of a while they may be jointly liable as the prime minister who's in office under sponsible for the looming catastrophe. and that brings us to the advocate general of the european court of justice at that opinion after all article fifty might be

unilaterally to fall by the u.k. we have discussed this case and this cheated by scottish parliamentarians many times in the show well up until know at least it's been largely ignored by the mainstream london media before in this expected judgement that is the solution to britain's blacks do that and that is for the parliament which kind of itself some of the majority for anything palatable but has a substantial majority against the unpalatable new deal that parliament has but one final judy which is to prepare the gloating for the decision to be made by others if the prime minister's an easy compromise finally bites the dust next week than the choices between a renewed to go she with a declared backstop of no deal or remaining in the european union that decision between the two real options could either be made by referendum or by general election or both revoking after fifty allows the tying for the people to make such

a choice and so from tacitly and all at the show it's goodbye for now. despite this out of need. arise out of the powder but i again gouge and down which island. yes this time i didn't have. to employ him to go to work. on which i got older and your brother the most almost the whole cd i mean look if you could get them going to the one has

a funny but it was you don't love me well you. can base that right on the bank call for the work on the bass walk or chemical lights and as our business is going through that he would develop a new treatment there in ten minutes no mockers no that these industries out of when you think you're a dissenting ignore the money that ends most of them live even also and when we lost the mother of the lightnings we lost even this. the maturity to. go in and you may never get out some sort of people says.

my teenage gang rules here. i don't want to do to move. my good. name he. told. her i. was. looking for. as soon as the sun and melanie went up in the food. you know the monkey who is all i see. when a loved one is murdered it's natural to seek the death penalty for the murder i would prefer and it's meaningless in the death penalty just because i think that's the

fair thing the right thing research shows that for every nine executions one convict is found innocent the idea that we were executing innocent people is terrifying the is just no really hasn't been that we hear even many victims' families want the death penalty to be abolished the reason we have to keep the death penalty here is because that's what murder victims' families what that's going to give them peace that's going to give them justice and we come in and say. not quite enough we've been through this this isn't the way. our mission is to reassert our sovereignty reform the liberal actually that.