Brexit: The week ahead

Theresa May is facing another challenging week in her battle to save her Brexit plan as the final countdown to the crucial Commons vote on December 11 begins.

The Prime Minister, back from the G20 summit in Argentina, is likely to have several hurdles to overcome this week as she aims to win backing for her deal.

Here is how the coming days are expected to play out:

Legal advice battle

The first issue facing Mrs May this week will be the intensifying demands for the Government to release the full legal advice on the Withdrawal Agreement.

On Monday, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox will attempt to head off a threat by opposition parties to initiate proceedings against the Government for contempt of Parliament, and will make a statement and answer MPs’ questions in the House in an attempt to address MPs’ concerns.

Ministers have been accused of ignoring the will of the House after saying they will publish only a “full reasoned political statement” on the legal position concerning the Withdrawal Agreement.

The DUP – which props up the Conservative Government in the Commons – was said to be ready to sign a joint letter with other parties to Speaker John Bercow on Monday unless ministers back down.

Any finding against the Government would be potentially highly damaging for Mrs May at a time when she is at her most vulnerable politically.

Five days of debate

On Tuesday, MPs will begin five days of debate on the Brexit agreement ahead of the Commons vote.

These debates will be key for Mrs May, with a significant number of MPs having already expressed their opposition to the deal.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer has said if the deal is rejected, Labour will table a no-confidence motion in an attempt to force a general election.

It has also been reported that the DUP is considering abandoning the Government in the event of a confidence vote, despite its “confidence and supply” agreement.

Article 50 challenge

Also on Tuesday, the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice is due to publish his non-binding opinion on whether the UK can unilaterally revoke Article 50.

Triggered by the UK Government on March 29 2017, Article 50 governs the two-year negotiating period for countries leaving the EU.

Back to the chamber

Mrs May will face Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday. It will likely mean more tough questions from both the opposition and within her own ranks.

TV debate?

Mrs May could also go head-to-head with Jeremy Corbyn in a televised debate ahead of the Commons vote.

The BBC is planning to screen the showdown on Sunday evening – although doubts have been growing over whether it will go ahead amid continued wrangling between the Conservatives and Labour over the format.

Over the weekend, Mr Corbyn said he was prepared to accept Downing Street’s preferred option of the BBC proposal, provided it was a straight head-to-head discussion between the two leaders.

But Number 10 said the PM was determined to stick to the original BBC plan, which also involves the leaders taking questions from a wider panel.

Meanwhile, leading Tory Eurosceptics have said a senior Brexiteer should be included in the main line-up, and not just on the proposed panel.

More resignations?

With the departure of universities and science minister Sam Gyimah over the weekend, Mrs May will be hoping to survive the week without anyone else following suit.