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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jan/31/government-will-not-oppose-labour-motion-on-leaked-brexit-papers
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| Government to release leaked Brexit report to MPs | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labour hails ‘victory for transparency’ but sensitive content is to be redacted | |
| Peter Walker Political correspondent | Peter Walker Political correspondent |
| Wed 31 Jan 2018 19.02 GMT | |
| First published on Wed 31 Jan 2018 14.45 GMT | |
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| The government is to release a leaked Brexit analysis that shows the UK economy would be significantly worse off in every modelled scenario, after it decided not to oppose a Labour motion calling for the documents to be issued. | The government is to release a leaked Brexit analysis that shows the UK economy would be significantly worse off in every modelled scenario, after it decided not to oppose a Labour motion calling for the documents to be issued. |
| The shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, said it was “a victory for transparency and accountability” when the motion calling for the documents to be provided to MPs and the Brexit select committee was passed unanimously. | The shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, said it was “a victory for transparency and accountability” when the motion calling for the documents to be provided to MPs and the Brexit select committee was passed unanimously. |
| Asked by Starmer about when the papers would be released, the Speaker, John Bercow, ruled it should happen “as a matter of urgency”, as decreed in the motion. | Asked by Starmer about when the papers would be released, the Speaker, John Bercow, ruled it should happen “as a matter of urgency”, as decreed in the motion. |
| After the debate, Starmer said Labour expected ministers to hand over the papers by the end of the week, though the exact timetable has yet to be determined. | After the debate, Starmer said Labour expected ministers to hand over the papers by the end of the week, though the exact timetable has yet to be determined. |
| Speaking in the debate, the the junior Brexit minister Robin Walker said some elements would be redacted if there was a possibility they could affect negotiations with the EU, and the studies would only be available to MPs in a confidential reading room. | Speaking in the debate, the the junior Brexit minister Robin Walker said some elements would be redacted if there was a possibility they could affect negotiations with the EU, and the studies would only be available to MPs in a confidential reading room. |
| “A key part of this is for the government to be able to conduct internal thinking when it comes to preparing policy,” Walker said. | “A key part of this is for the government to be able to conduct internal thinking when it comes to preparing policy,” Walker said. |
| The government has come under pressure to release the documents immediately and to the public, with the cross-party Treasury committee of MPs writing to David Davis, the Brexit secretary, asking for this to happen. | The government has come under pressure to release the documents immediately and to the public, with the cross-party Treasury committee of MPs writing to David Davis, the Brexit secretary, asking for this to happen. |
| “The document can hardly undermine the government’s negotiating position if it does not consider the government’s desired outcome,” the committee’s chair, Nicky Morgan, wrote. | “The document can hardly undermine the government’s negotiating position if it does not consider the government’s desired outcome,” the committee’s chair, Nicky Morgan, wrote. |
| The climbdown came as Downing Street said Phillip Lee, a junior justice minister, had been reprimanded for tweeting that if such studies showed the economy would be harmed then a change in policy should follow. | The climbdown came as Downing Street said Phillip Lee, a junior justice minister, had been reprimanded for tweeting that if such studies showed the economy would be harmed then a change in policy should follow. |
| No such action has been taken against the Brexit minister Steve Baker, who said economic forecasts by government officials were “always wrong”. | |
| The decision to release the papers mirrors what happened last year when Labour sought and won an opposition day motion calling for the release of a wider set of Brexit analyses, which later turned out to be more straightforward sectoral assessments. | The decision to release the papers mirrors what happened last year when Labour sought and won an opposition day motion calling for the release of a wider set of Brexit analyses, which later turned out to be more straightforward sectoral assessments. |
| The newer reports, leaked to Buzzfeed this week, predict the UK will end up economically worse off under three possible Brexit scenarios: a comprehensive free trade deal, single market access, and no deal at all. | The newer reports, leaked to Buzzfeed this week, predict the UK will end up economically worse off under three possible Brexit scenarios: a comprehensive free trade deal, single market access, and no deal at all. |
| Ministers have dismissed the study as interim and incomplete because it does not include the option of a bespoke deal with the EU which is being sought by the government but about which details have yet to be explained. | Ministers have dismissed the study as interim and incomplete because it does not include the option of a bespoke deal with the EU which is being sought by the government but about which details have yet to be explained. |
| In tweets sent on Tuesday, Lee, the Tory MP for Bracknell since 2010 and a junior justice minister since 2016, said the next phase of Brexit had to focus on the evidence. “But if these figures turn out to be anywhere near right, there would be a serious question over whether a government could legitimately lead a country along a path that the evidence and rational consideration indicate would be damaging.” | In tweets sent on Tuesday, Lee, the Tory MP for Bracknell since 2010 and a junior justice minister since 2016, said the next phase of Brexit had to focus on the evidence. “But if these figures turn out to be anywhere near right, there would be a serious question over whether a government could legitimately lead a country along a path that the evidence and rational consideration indicate would be damaging.” |
| A Downing Street source said: “Phillip Lee will recognise that the analysis was initial and probably not worth commenting on. He has been spoken to by the chief whip and reminded that it is best to air his view in private.” | A Downing Street source said: “Phillip Lee will recognise that the analysis was initial and probably not worth commenting on. He has been spoken to by the chief whip and reminded that it is best to air his view in private.” |
| The source faced repeated questions from reporters about why Lee had been disciplined when no action had been taken against Baker. His comments prompted an angry response from the head of the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, and Bob Kerslake, who ran the civil service from 2012 to 2015 and is now a crossbench peer. | The source faced repeated questions from reporters about why Lee had been disciplined when no action had been taken against Baker. His comments prompted an angry response from the head of the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, and Bob Kerslake, who ran the civil service from 2012 to 2015 and is now a crossbench peer. |
| Asked whether the lack of action against Baker meant the minister’s view was official government policy, the source said: “I will stick with what Steve Baker said.” | Asked whether the lack of action against Baker meant the minister’s view was official government policy, the source said: “I will stick with what Steve Baker said.” |
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