Tonight’s press releases are brought to you from Madrid, where hundreds of liberals from across Europe are gathering for the ALDE Party Congress. This feature might be rather more erratically timed than usual until Sunday…

Brexit legal advice must be published

Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Tom Brake has called on the Government to end their “murky games” and publish all legal advice on Brexit plans for the Irish border.

Mr Brake said:

Refusing to publish legal advice on Brexit makes a mockery of the discredited mantra ‘Take Back Control’. Choosing to withhold this information from the public raises serious questions about what Tory ministers are trying to hide.

Liberal Democrats demand better. The Government must stop these murky games and publish their legal advice in full. The people deserve access to this information, and the opportunity to reject the Brexit mess with a ‘People’s Vote’.

Tory gagging clauses damage democracy

Responding to reports that the Government has used gagging clauses on 40 charities and more than 300 companies, including experts hired by the Government to test cladding 12 days after the Grenfell Tower fire, Liberal Democrat Housing spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said:

Grenfell was a tragedy that should never have happened. Rather than gagging experts and prioritising reputational damage, this Conservative Government should be doing everything in its power to ensure that it never happens again.

It beggars belief that Theresa May and her ministers have squandered £25 billion on gagging clauses. Taxpayers money should never be used to deter people from speaking out.

Transparency and freedom of speech are vital for a healthy democracy, something this Conservative Government have no regard for.

Scottish Parliament votes in favour of a ‘People’s Vote’

The Scottish Parliament has today voted in favour of a Liberal Democrat amendment committing the Parliament to “providing unequivocal support for a public vote on the final terms of the Brexit deal”.

Former Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Tavish Scott, the MSP who moved the successful amendment, warned the vote exposed “the weakness” of Labour’s opposition to Brexit.

Following the vote, Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said:

The Scottish Parliament giving its unequivocal support to a People’s Vote is an important step in the UK-wide campaign for a vote on the deal.

The Liberal Democrats have been leading the way on this campaign since 2016. More and more people are beginning to agree with us that we need a people’s vote on the final deal.

The Labour leadership must now follow their London Mayor Sadiq Khan and other leading Labour figures in giving people the final deal, including the option of an exit from Brexit.