It’s been a busy day, perhaps not a great surprise as the Brexit debate in the Commons reaches its denouement…

• Cable: Halt “egregious imbalance” of May vs Corbyn Brexit debate
• Lib Dems back amendment to stop no deal Brexit
• Lib Dems: Govt have held Parliament in contempt
• Govt remain clueless on immigration
• Lib Dem peers defeat Government on civil liberties (see here for our earlier coverage)
• PM must stop pandering to the Saudi regime
• Lib Dems lead fight for renters’ rights
• Govt must publish Brexit legal advice

Cable: Halt “egregious imbalance” of May vs Corbyn Brexit debate

Today Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Vince Cable has called on the TV networks to widen the proposed TV debates, putting himself forward as providing a real alternative, a people’s vote.

In letters to the BBC, Sky and ITV Cable called the proposed set up in which two pro-Brexit figures debate each other an “egregious imbalance”.

Cable wrote:

Such a debate is clearly highly unsatisfactory, and will reveal almost nothing about the alternative options before the country.

The principal alternative to the withdrawal agreement is for the UK to remain as a full and influential member of the European Union.

All the evidence suggests that there is now a majority in the country for doing so, and a substantial majority for a People’s Vote. Yet neither Jeremy Corbyn nor Theresa May supports this route.

Lib Dems back amendment to stop no deal Brexit

Today Liberal Democrat MPs have added their names to a cross party amendment which would force the Conservative Government to take no deal Brexit off the table and pave the way to a people’s vote.

Commenting on the amendment originally put down by Hilary Benn, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson Tom Brake said:

The Liberal Democrats will work with MPs from all parties to get the country out of this mess.

Given that the Conservative Government wholeheartedly accept that a no deal Brexit will create chaos and mayhem, they must do the responsible thing and take No Deal off the table.

This amendment paves the way to a people’s vote on Brexit, with an option to remain in the EU.

Lib Dems: Govt have held Parliament in contempt

The Liberal Democrats, alongside Labour, the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Green party have written to the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, asking for his consideration of a motion that the Government have held Parliament in contempt.

The Government have failed to provide parliamentarians with the ‘final and full advice provided by the Attorney General to the Cabinet concerning the terms of any withdrawal agreement’ that was requested by the House on the 13th November, and was not opposed by the Government.

Commenting on the letter that has been sent to the Speaker, co-signatory of the letter, and Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said:

The Attorney General, in his most bombastic court-room manner has shown Parliament two learned fingers and refused to comply with Parliament’s request to publish the full legal advice.

This must constitute contempt of Parliament which will be pursued by all legal means.

The Liberal Democrat’s demand better than this sorry mess of a Government.

Govt remain clueless on immigration

Responding to Stephen Barclay’s evidence session for the Select Committee for Exiting the EU, Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse said:

The Conservative Government is insistent on ending free movement, but it doesn’t have a plan to make it happen. The Cabinet can’t agree and therefore won’t release the immigration white paper meaning we are all being left in the dark, including the Brexit Secretary himself.

Stephen Barclay cannot answer how we will control migration without a hard border in Ireland. It is time the Government came clean and admitted that Brexit won’t end free movement. And why would we want to? As the Government’s own analysis shows, EU migration has been an real benefit to the UK economy.

Nobody voted for a chaotic visa system or to make the UK poorer. There must be a People’s vote, with the option to remain in the EU.

PM must stop pandering to the Saudi regime

Responding to the Prime Minister’s statement on the G20 Summit, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable said:

Given her candid friendship with Prince Mohammed and the Saudi regime, the Prime Minister must urgently make an appeal for clemency on behalf of the 12 men who are currently facing imminent execution for the crime of practising a different religion.

Considering their disregard for human rights and the rule of law, it is long overdue that the Conservative Government stopped pandering to this regime and suspended arms sales.

Lib Dems lead fight for renters’ rights

After pressure from Liberal Democrat Peers, the Government have today announced major concessions on the Tenant Fees Bill.

The amendments, published this evening, would significantly limit the fees that could be charged to a tenant by their landlord or lettings agent, require a greater amount of transparency when deciding not to refund a holding deposit, and limit the maximum security deposit a landlord can require to five weeks rent.

Responding to the Government amendments, Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson John Shipley said:

It is good to see the Government have listened to the concerns we raised during the progress of the Bill. These amendments will make a huge difference for tenants, who will save hundreds of pounds every year.

We also want to congratulate Shelter, Citizens Advice and Generation Rent who have worked so hard to get this Bill in the right place.

Many of the provisions in the Tenant Fees Bill were proposed in the previous session of Parliament by Lib Dem Peer Olly Grender, in her Renters’ Rights Private Members’ Bill.

Commenting on the changes to the Bill, Olly said:

It is the vulnerable in our society who are most affected by the extortionate fees imposed by landlords and lettings agencies. The inability to pay these fees upfront can often lead to homelessness.

While I welcomed the Government bringing forward this Bill, there were a number of outstanding issues that could have had severe consequences for low income tenants or tenants on benefits in the private rented sector.

There is still more work to be done to get tenants a fairer deal, but I am delighted that the Government have listened to our suggestions and others to improve this Bill. The task now is to get this change for tenants through as quickly as possible.

Govt must publish Brexit legal advice

Responding to the announcement that the Speaker of the House has granted a debate on the cross-party contempt motion over the Government’s refusal to fully publish the Brexit legal advice, cosignatory Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson, Tom Brake said:

Parliament is finally taking back control from this chaotic government.

The Attorney General put on a good show, but the House did not want TV drama. MPs expect the publication of the full legal Brexit advice before the debates on the withdrawal deal begin.

The government must not be allowed to use this chaotic situation to take focus away from the mess they are making of Brexit.