Parliament should use its power to give the voters another say on Brexit | Martin Kettle

Brexit silenced parliament. MPs have now seized back control, but will they dare use it to call a second referendum?

The three defeats that the House of Commons inflicted on the government this week are an enormous moment in the Brexit drama. They do far more than force the government to publish the attorney general’s legal advice, and ensure that MPs can stop a no-deal departure from the EU next March, important though both these things are. More than that, they toll the death knell for Theresa May’s Brexit deal, which now seems even more certain than before to be defeated next week – and they may toll the death knell for May’s premiership itself.

As ever, though, there is a tendency among politicians and the media alike to target only the low-hanging fruit in plain view. Some of that is indeed very tempting, so the focus is understandable, especially when events are now moving so swiftly. The prospect of the government’s flagship policy – its entire raison d’être – being defeated next Tuesday is high. So is the possibility that May will be gone before Christmas, with a leadership battle to follow.

Related: Britain can legally cancel Brexit. That’s EU advice – but will parliament agree? | Jolyon Maugham

Related: At last, parliament is taking back control of Brexit | Rafael Behr

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