For a brief moment, the notion that Theresa May had finally wrested a crucial concession from the EU - namely, that it had agreed to grant the UK "legally binding assurances" that it could unilaterally exit the Irish Backstop in the event of a deal deadlock - seemed too good to be true. And as it turned out, it was. After issuing a tensely anticipated legal advice on Tuesday, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox contradicted May and the rest of her cabinet by determining that the interpretive document offered the UK by the EU would grant no legally guaranteed right to exit the backstop. In other words, Cox has confirmed the objections of May's eurosceptic critics, who alleged last night after the text of the agreement had been released that nothing had changed. While the risk of "bad faith entrapment" in the Irish Backstop had been "reduced" thanks to May's concessions, Cox couldn't rule it out entirely. Attorney General new advice key bit - bad faith entrapment in backstop “risk is reduced” BUT in case of intractable differences (ie over whether new tech solves border) legal risk “remains unchanged” with “no internationally lawful means of exiting [backstop] save by Agreement” pic.twitter.com/nxEHRp5kdX — Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) https://twitter.com/faisalislam/status/1105427482998722560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); The advice virtually ensures an extension of the Brexit deadline. What Geoffrey Cox's legal advice likely means: 🚨Theresa May's deal almost certainly doomed to another crushing defeat 🚨Pendulum has swung firmly towards Remainers 🚨MPs likely to rule out no-deal on Wednesday 🚨MPs likely to vote in favour of Article 50 extension on Thursday — Jack Maidment (@jrmaidment) https://twitter.com/jrmaidment/status/1105427692743217152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); The news sent the pound tumbling as it practically guarantees that a second vote on May's deal, expected late Tuesday (though it may yet be cancelled), will fail. Cox is expected to address the commons at 12:30 GMT (8:30 ET), before May opens the debate on the meaningful vote for her deal at 1 pm GMT (9 am ET), with the vote set to begin at 7 pm GMT (3 pm ET).