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Brexit row impels No 10’s top lawyer to walk

The head of the UK’s Government Legal Department has quit in a row over Brexit. 

The Financial Times has reported that barrister Sir Jonathan Jones has walked out in a dispute with Number Ten over its plans to challenge parts of the EU withdrawal agreement.

“Those close to Sir Jonathan said he was ‘very unhappy’ about the decision to overwrite parts of the Northern Ireland protocol, part of the 2019 withdrawal agreement, with new powers in the UK Internal Market Bill,” the FT reports.

“One person familiar with the events leading up to Sir Jonathan’s decision to resign said it had followed months of tension over the handling of the Brexit negotiations, and legal disagreements with Suella Braverman, the attorney general.”

Impressive lawyer

Labour’s shadow justice spokesman Lord Falconer, tweeted: “Jonathan Jones [is an] impressive lawyer and very decent person. Loyal civil servant. If he can’t stay in the public service, there must be something very rotten about this government. Reckless, law-breaking, trashing the best of the UK.”

Jones was appointed Britain’s treasury solicitor and the Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department in 2014.