Theresa May has suffered two humiliating defeats in parliament as MPs flex their muscles ahead of a Commons showdown over her deal.
In extraordinary scenes, the government was found to be in contempt of parliament over its refusal to publish key Brexit papers after opposition MPs won a narrow victory to force their hand.
Tory rebels then inflicted a further defeat on the prime minister, by backing an amendment that would give MPs control over Brexit if Ms May's deal is voted down next week.
It comes as the prime minister began a five-day Commons debate on her Brexit blueprint, which culminates in crunch votes that could threaten her leadership and her government.
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Senior ministers are at risk of being suspended from parliament if the government is found to be in contempt, Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake has said.
MPs are due to vote on a censure motion over ministers' refusal to publish the full legal guidance on the Brexit deal, despite an order from the Commons to do.
The motion does not spell out any sanctions but if the government doesn't comply, Labour is expected to seek further penalties, such as the suspension of attorney general Geoffrey Cox or David Lidington, the cabinet office secretary.
Mr Brake told BBC Radio 4's Today that the deal was "the single biggest decision the country will have taken in 50 years" and the government's decision "impedes the house in the performance of its function".
He said: "Clearly the Attorney General is the one who came to present the government's case for not releasing this and I suppose he is in line for being in contempt, and I think the house should consider suspending him for that action."
Asked whether any suspension should be immediate, he added: "I know the government would prefer to refer it to the privileges committee but I think that just kicks it into the long grass.
"We are going to have the debate to day and we are going to have to wait and see. But I think unless the Attorney General does a U-turn, I'm afraid that he is very much in the firing line."
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The reality is that the position of the legal advice is a very straightforward and a very longstanding one.
"I'm a former Lord Chancellor, it is a central part of the principles of our legal system that the advice provided from a lawyer to their client is treated as confidential, it's privileged information.
"Government has always behaved in that way and actually if government starts to have to publish every bit of legal advice it gets that is going to put us at a serious disadvantage when it comes, for example, to dealing with court cases with third parties.
"What we saw yesterday was the Attorney General, for the first time in a quarter of a century and more, coming to the Commons, taking detailed questions about the legal position, being very open about the legal position and providing parliament with the information it needs.
"I think that is the right approach."
What happens if the government loses the vote? Ashley Cowburn, our political correspondent, has taken a look at the ramifications.
Politically, it would be a major embarrassment for Theresa May's government - the first in modern history to be found in contempt of Parliament. Hardly good timing for the prime minister, who today also kicks off the first of five days of debates on her Brexit deal.
On a practical level, the cross-party motion, if passed, will demand ministers publish the "full and final" legal advice on Ms May's deal.
So far ministers have resisted such calls, even after a Commons motion was passed around two weeks ago requesting the government do so.
But a motion of contempt would ratchet up pressure on the prime minister to publish the legal advice - not just as "position statement" as was the case on Monday.
The motion does not place sanctions on individual ministers, but if the government again refuses to publish the legal documents upon losing the contempt motion, it appears likely the opposition parties in Westminster will push for further sanctions.
This could be brought against senior ministers in the government - most likely David Lidington, the cabinet office minister, or Geoffrey Cox, the attorney general. These ministers could face suspension from the chamber - and potentially miss the "meaningful vote" on the PM's Brexit deal next week.
"The withdrawal agreement is less a carefully crafted diplomatic compromise and more the result of incompetence of a high order," he wrote for Bloomberg.
"I have friends who are passionate Remainers and others who are passionate Leavers.
"None of them believe this deal makes any sense. It is time to think again, and the first step is to reject a deal that is the worst of all worlds."
He added: "Leaving the EU is not the end of the world, any more than it will deliver the promised land.
"Nonetheless the country is entitled to expect something better than a muddled commitment to perpetual subordination from which the UK cannot withdraw without the agreement of the EU. "
Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, is now moving the contempt motion, on behalf of the opposition MPs.
He says parliament's order on November 13 that the government publish the full legal advice on the Brexit deal was "binding" and the document published yesterday was simply a "synopsis".
"The government is wilfully refusing to comply with a binding order of this house and that is contempt," he says.
Starmer says the attorney general's reasoning behind not publishing was a "plea of mitigation, not a defence" - and it is not good enough.
"It is no longer a matter for the government to judge. It has been decided by the House, which is a higher authority."
He said the government has ended up "in very deep water" because they were afraid of losing the vote. They have been ignoring opposition days in parliament all year.
Huge jeers from MPs when Keir Starmer says he has not taken this decision lightly.
John Bercow, the Speaker, has to intervene to tell them to quieten down.
Starmer urges the government "to think again and pull back from the brink of being in contempt of parliament".
Andrea Leadsom, the Commons leader, is now speaking for the government. She has tabled a motion to thwart the efforts, by forcing the matter to go before the privileges committee - ie kicking it into the long grass.
She says the government has provided a lengthy commentary on the detailed legal position on the Brexit deal and the attorney general has promised to answer any questions MPs have.
"I would urge the house to exercise caution in this matter," she says. "There is no dispute about the wording of the withdrawal agreement."
She says no one could argue that the attorney general, Geoffrey Cox, has done anything but treat the House with respect.
The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.
Sign our petition here
