Geoffrey Cox exposed the key hypocrisy in Labour’s position – they will still vote against the Withdrawal Agreement today despite making clear that they have no opposition to the WA alone in the past. He’s right – even Keir Starmer was clear that he accepted the Withdrawal Agreement in its current form just four days ago:

“I certainly accept the proposition that the EU has said that the Withdrawal Agreement is not for reopening at any stage, and it has resisted that for month after month from the Government.”

His Shadow Cabinet colleague John Healey was even clearer, telling BBC News two weeks ago:

“We’ve been very clear, that it is done and dusted, we have never said we would seek to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement… We have to accept what the European Union is saying about the Withdrawal Agreement, and has consistently said for six months”.

Corbyn’s own letter to May setting out Labour’s five new Brexit demands called only for changes to the Political Declaration:

“The Labour leader says that while the Prime Minister is focused on negotiating changes to the backstop, she needs to enshrine five changes to the Political Declaration in law to secure Labour support for a sensible deal that can bring the country together”.

Labour know that today’s vote is nothing to do with the Political Declaration, they know the Government can’t bring both back today because Labour conspired with Bercow to stop them, they have no actual opposition to the Withdrawal Agreement. Their only Brexit strategy is trying to cause chaos in the hope that they can profit politically. Cynical party politics to the last…