Labour is to warn ministers on Monday that they risk being held in contempt of parliament if they do not immediately release dozens of papers outlining the economic impact of Brexit.

The government conceded last week that it had to publish the 58 studies covering various parts of the economy after the move was supported in a Labour opposition motion that was passed unanimously on Wednesday.

While normal opposition motions are advisory, Labour presented this one as a “humble address”, a rare and antiquated procedure which the Speaker, John Bercow, advised was usually seen as binding.

The leader of the Commons, Andrea Leadsom, said on Thursday that the government accepted the motion as binding, and that “the information will be forthcoming”.

However, she gave no timescale – the government has previously said it will respond to opposition motions within 12 weeks – and indicated some elements of the papers would need to be redacted to avoid “disclosing information that could harm the national interest”.

The Labour motion called for the papers to be released immediately to the Brexit select committee, which has a majority of Conservative MPs, and which would then decide what elements should not be published more widely.

The shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, has warned that Labour will refer the matter to Bercow over possible contempt if the studies are not passed to the committee before parliament’s one-week recess begins on Tuesday.

The parliamentary rulebook, known as Erskine May after its 19th-century author, says actions that obstruct or impede the Commons “in the performance of its functions, or are offences against its authority or dignity, such as disobedience to its legitimate commands” be can viewed as contempt.

MPs held in contempt can be asked to apologise, suspended or even expelled by their fellows. Offenders can also theoretically be confined to a room in the Big Ben clock tower, although this power has not been used since 1880.

Labour is confident Bercow supports their contention the papers should be released soon, citing an answer the Speaker gave during Wednesday’s debate to the Tory MP Sarah Wollaston.



Bercow said: “If the honourable lady is asking me whether I envisage this being something that needs to be deliberated on over a period of several days, the answer is no.”

Hilary Benn, the Labour leader of the Brexit select committee, wrote to the Brexit secretary, David Davis, on Friday seeking to gain access to the studies as soon as possible.

Labour has sought for months to secure the release of the studies, which cover the great majority of the UK economy. The reluctance of ministers has prompted speculation they are wary of sharing them because of the gloomy assessments they contain.

The Labour motion was passed unanimously after the government said it would not oppose the measure, a tactic it has taken several times recently to ward off likely rebellions by Tory MPs.

Starmer said in a statement that ministers had “wasted months sidelining Parliament and keeping businesses in the dark”.

He said: “Labour’s victory over the government last week means we can finally have greater transparency over the impact Brexit could have on jobs and the economy.

“But we need ministers to act urgently on this issue by handing over the economic impact assessments to the Brexit select committee. That is why I am urging the government to release the papers before parliament rises on Tuesday. If ministers fail to act then we will have no choice but to raise this matter with the Speaker of the Commons.”

Meanwhile, the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has said the Brexit referendum has stalled Britain’s growth at a time when global conditions mean it should be booming – and warned that the Bank would not be able to intervene to stimulate growth if a bad deal pushed inflation higher.

Carney said: “Since the referendum, business investment has picked up, but not any of the extent one would have expected, given how strong the world is and easy financial conditions are. It should really be booming and it’s just growing.”

Speaking on ITV’s Peston on Sunday, Carney said investment had been deterred by uncertainty over the eventual deal. “The Brexit uncertainty is reinforcing something that started in 2008. Productivity is going to pick up over the next couple of years but not to the degree of the past, and it’s that Brexit effect which is weighing on it.”

He said productivity should have started rising in line with global trends in the past two years but had flatlined after the referendum was announced.

Asked if a failure to strike a post-Brexit trade deal would see growth fall while full membership of the customs unions and single market would see it improve, Carney replied: “Yes – the short answer is yes.”

He warned that the Bank would not have any flexibility to cut interest rates without a good Brexit deal, due to its responsibilities to keep inflation down. “If we got a worst-case deal, growth would go down and inflation would rise.”