the rights and 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 i'm precedented for this house to find ministers in contempt the motion makes clear the government must now publish 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 have 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 as slogan julie that effort. that's right and so there's two things that could happen either parliament. could 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 may deliberate and decide 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 will go back 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 of the highway by the prime minister no have opening 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. illegality 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 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 agencies investigated aaron banks because allegedly the kremlin clear that mr banks has not been found guilty of any crime in as yet but you think a court will regard these indications on the electoral commission and a host of commerce committee as serious enough to to set aside 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 but what is absolutely clear is that russia has been launching

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 it 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 an independence vote and and the reason why russia is keen on doing this is it 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 of america which isn't to fear the elections all round the world i think that you interact make an important point which is that we need to get back to the principle of the. being fair and free just like the universal declaration of human

rights says we are entitled to 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 to there's a little fear didn't end the elses election that's not the point fundamentally look i think that if that was happening and i'm sure it has its wrong but to my kids a blessing an 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 was revokable so both political establishment didn't want the court to rule as it looks like it is doing so doesn't court will it 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.r. 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 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. taking the legal her. often pushing

on sort of citizens have to sort of think you've got to be pragmatic and perhaps it's the right thing for another vote to take place especially given that two out of the four nations of the united kingdom scotland and northern ireland voted to 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 i bet them one pounds the government wouldn't still be in place by the end of our constitutional course at the end of march and so 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 while you and best of luck in your bet your constitutional law students coming up after the break from the legal minefield we've moved to the political minefield facing the prime minister but commentators north and so from the border from opposite sides looking at what lies ahead for to reason may.

i've been saying the numbers mean they matter the us has over one trillion dollars in debt more than ten dollars more in tamping. eighty five percent of global wealth to the rich with six percent markets thirty percent year some with four hundred to five hundred three per second per second and one rose to twenty thousand dollars. china's building two point one billion dollars ai industrial park but don't let the numbers overwhelm. the only numbers you need remember in one one show you know the mit one and only. the ones in the united states. dangerous for most of the illegal immigrants.

crossing. the road a simple they want to. put as many of them look for refuge in the so-called sentry sites the drifter used to share information about undocumented migrants with federal authorities. bank. was heating oil i've heard up my son i get i'm in a lot of. water the option is to stay in the country with donald trump in the white house. to be brought to the. kill with the pushkin food impulse response both of you up of up to the bulk of the . most people think just stand out in this business you need to be the first one on top of the

story or the person with the loudest voice of the biggest raid in truth to stand the news business you just need to ask the right questions and demand the right answer. question. when a loved one is murder it's natural to seek the death penalty for the murder i would prefer it be illin 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 there's just no really hasn't been that we want even many of the times 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 want that's going to give them peace

that's going to give them justice and we come in saying. not quite enough we've been through this this isn't the way. welcome back when the commons got down to the main motion the meaningful vote on me still things that though it took a turn for the better for the embattled prime minister with scott not so the last of a democratic unionist to the rights of art he had the guns of labor in front of fire and the knives of the tory backbenchers behind her i hope don't believe you will compound that by the poisonous section thirty for scotland the scottish government once it had a history of opposition is not a good one and she should respect the democracy she's talking about it applies to scotland to prime minister to come i ask the prime minister in terms of

guaranteeing 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 a. our country worse off i really can't believe that there is a single member of this house who sincerely believes that this deal we have before us is a good deal like politics is 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 can a prime minister deserted by much of her party look elsewhere for support alex fast columnist for the national georgia kind of end of the scottish political play would be unlucky for me just kind of unwelcome to them examined show and our legs nice to

be talking to you again but judge you've got every bit of castle there behind you in the and then 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 do you believe that is well is indeed important and school is back with a bang course has always been here it's just the rest of the in 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 like you and me alex is principally a land of lawyers and scottish lawyers people like john a cherry who forced the scotland back into the debate by going to the court of justice in europe and getting this ruling that the u.k. could walk away and walk away from article fifty to 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 hollywood halls of the court to session see scottish judicial case which seems to be opening up a new vest potentially for members of parliament to westminster well i mean our think they must be surprise 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 so. a few lawyers now thinking well maybe scald become independent maybe those law courts will actually be be the locals for an independent country someday 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 reasonably seems to a divided her own party in terms of her proposal she seems to view hated the liberal party against but simpleton the asli has alienated the ulster unionists under 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 break up 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 breaking up and therefore the smaller parties like the union also unions and the s.n.p. they become strategic indeed the direction the parliament goes to alienate them therefore in those circumstances is just political imbecility there is that any proposal in britain's relationship we europe that commands enough support to carry 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 what they're calling norway plus in other words u.k. to stay to formally come out of the e.u.

but to stay within the single market and the customs union and i suspect there are enough empty 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 remains skeptical of that but. that seems to be the one rule what you call compromise that come out of all of this short of going to the country holding another referendum and a phrase george caliban a new year resolution for to be easily. let the scots go their own way to reason thank you very much just care of a maiden and i'll be up to join you by hold may well 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 in the last few days the meal

and express have deserted the hard line breaks the tears and rallied to domy banner however was consistent defender in fleet street has been celebrated columnist peter oborne he cautions alex it is too soon try to political a better day for trees and me is a robot and welcome to the examined show thank you very much indeed is a huge pleasure thank you peter know you've been is staunch defender of me in fact one of the only defenders and terms of calmness are you still worth it in this moment of trial for the prime minister absolutely and you know again and again the metropolitan media claussen that all acolytes of trash the prime as the said she'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 now 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 arithmetic it's the most difficult one yet but i think oddly enough that the dramatic vote in parliament on tuesday night has actually helped even though she was defeated and rudd see it as no prime minister in modern times has been before but what it meant is this is on the publication of the legal advice of the amendment. the opening up of parliamentary options of britain is this is that amendment which is meant to them means that parliament can actually seized control of the bricks in process and what that means of course is that no deal which has been pursued by the brics a tears suddenly becomes very unlikely if not impossible. and so no mrs may can say to the brits and tears you either support my form of bricks it this 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 britain staying in the european union is that why it is chosen michael gove perhaps not the whole of her most reliable of allies but he has been chosen to sum up the debate and choose to see that his 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 is 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 you say either you back mrs may and you'll get brett sit or vote and you will be no bretta that'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 right. 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 continue 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 of the merge and see government national government led by and this is my prediction for today prime minister nobody's heard of him 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 if 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 so obscure or is not even all of it i mean you can get any orders you like but the fact is that i think he's so boring that. he would put all three 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 was there i say that you could use this to toss the living to improve his ship but this is for the period male example show the quick it's got to go it for the loving cup you know the drill whisky in the quick overly scotch and then wrote your many many friends world will drink it on new year's eve my buffeting will 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 people who are focused on 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 wider world the catholic church some years ago abolished limbo a spot of doctrine to these a may as give that let go of flesh and her blanks agreement this hospice 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 it's the past to get in name only but without any of the purported advantages of the freedom to chart a new trading and economic destiny of 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 is not a punishment of the u.k. but a god t.

of the principles of the european union 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 a reserve position the one that doesn't exist the prime minister was bowing to fail in negotiation as soon as the decision was made to invoke article fifty and the sentiment a time limited negotiation with vote any reserved position for breaks a ts 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 with hope one but it's still a risky endeavor however to invoke article fifty one vote this backstop was a night of lunacy for which morley are supposed to substantial majority of m.p.'s

who voted for that two years ago are jointly and severally liable have a while they may be jointly liable as the prime minister who's in office and responsible for the looming catastrophe and that brings us to the advocate general of the european court of justice that opinion after all article fifty might be unilaterally default by the u.k. we have discussed this case and this cheated by scottish parliamentarian's many times and the sure 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 at buddha and that is for a 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 new 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 off till fifty allows a tiger for the people to make such a choice and so from thousand b. and all at the show it's goodbye from now.

but all right. is this. going to go to break. bring your brother. with you who has a funny. face and write down the bank of you base walker chemical lies and this is going to go he would develop a new treatment in ten minutes no mockers no that these industries polluting you had to simply ignore their money their time and money. and when we lost the mother of the things we lost even this.

what does the rise. in france tell us about the state of the neoliberal order in europe are the protests in france the largest since one thousand nine hundred eighty eight just about a hike in prices and is. the right person to be president to address the problems so many in france. it has the protesters in france are 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 enrich the people on average in paris and shows a laissez in paris and those people who are working doing blue collar jobs their personal power is eroded and so they accordion pamela anderson figured out that this is a structurally violent system that they need to address with

a quid pro quo violence for violence. in. vehicles a subtle fire a student rushes clash with french police and fresh mass protests following the government to say.