Theresa May backs Attorney General Jeremy Wright after he lands public with MASSIVE bill by losing Brexit case

THERESA May was forced to publicly back her Attorney General tonight after it emerged taxpayers will have to foot a bill for “hundreds of thousands” for the botched Brexit court case.

Knives were out last night for Downing Street’s lawyer Jeremy Wright, with one Government source claiming the “advice he gave to Cabinet was clearly far too optimistic”.

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The Supreme Court ruled that the Government will have to pay some of the costs of top lawyers Mishcon de Reya, who fought the Brexit case for activist Gina Miller.

When added to the spending on the Government’s legal team it is thought taxpayers will be left with a bill of more than £3 million.

But yesterday Mrs May’s official spokesman confirmed that the PM had “full confidence” in her most senior lawyer, who represented the government in court.

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Downing Street also confirmed that the Attorney General had not offered his resignation after his defeat.

Mr Wright said he was “disappointed” by the ruling, but last night furious Tories questioned his experience and why he thought he could win the case.

Before becoming an MP he practised criminal law in the Midlands.

He was only awarded Queen’s Counsel — the top ranking for barristers — when he was made Attorney General in 2014.

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Traditionally Attorney Generals have been QCs of long standing.

One Conservative MP told The Sun: “It would be better to have a more senior lawyer around the table.”

And Lib Dem boss Tim Farron blasted Mr Wright, saying: “The Attorney General must have delivered duff legal advice to the Cabinet if anyone in government thought they could win this case.

“No one else with any sense did. How can this supposed QC have got this so wrong?”

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And he called for the PM to “think carefully if he’s the right man for this important job, based on this charade, I don’t think he is.”

In her speech to Conservative Party conference last year, the PM personally tasked Mr Wright with taking on the Brexit case.

“That is why I can tell you that the Attorney General himself, Jeremy Wright, will act for the Government and resist them in the courts,” she said.

Last night Government insiders pointed to the speech as providing the troubled legal chief with “some cover.”