Brexit: British MPs back ‘illegal’ bill in second reading

A controversial new bill that overrides parts of the Brexit treaty passes its second reading.

Boris Johnson during the debate into the Internal Markets Bill. Picture: AFP.

British MPs have given early approval to a controversial new bill that overrides parts of the Brexit divorce treaty agreed with the European Union last year, despite outrage in Brussels and alarm at home over such an overt breach of international law.

MPs in the House of Commonspassed the second reading of the UK Internal Market Bill by 340 votes to 263, clearing the way for four days of detailed scrutiny of the text this week and next.

However rebel Tory MPs say that they will hold fire until the House of Commons votes on an amendment tabled by the Tory chairman of the justice committee, Sir Bob Neill, due a week today. The amendment wuld force the government to seek parliamentary approval before ministers can trigger the controversial clauses.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier argued the legislation was a “safety net” against what he claimed were EU threats to impose tariffs on UK internal trade and even stop food going from mainland Britain to Northern Ireland.

But EU leaders have warned Mr Johnson to uphold commitments he made in the Brexit treaty last year — demanding he withdraw the offending parts of the new bill by the end of September.

The row threatens to disrupt already tough post-Brexit trade negotiations, and has sparked angry debate in London, reminiscent of the years of bitter political battles that followed the 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU.

Several of Mr Johnson’s own Conservative MPs have rebelled over the move to break international law, with ex-finance minister Sajid Javid and former attorney general Geoffrey Cox among those saying beforehand that they would not back the bill as it stood.

Every living former prime minister — Conservatives John Major, David Cameron and Theresa May and Labour’s Tony Blair and Gordon Brown — also warned of the risk to Britain’s global reputation.

Britain left the EU in January but remains bound by the rules of the 27-member bloc until a transition period ends on December 31.

Mr Johnson says the UK Internal Market Bill will ensure “unfettered access” for trade after that within the UK’s four nations — Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

But the legislation would see London unilaterally regulate UK trade and state aid within Northern Ireland — in violation of the Brexit treaty, that demands Brussels have a say.

Northern Ireland will uniquely remain subject to some EU rules after Brexit to ensure a free-flowing border with the Republic of Ireland — a crucial part of the 1998 peace accords that ended decades of sectarian violence.

But MR Johnson claimed the EU was ready to go to “extreme and unreasonable lengths” and to use these arrangements to “exert leverage” in the trade negotiations.

He acknowledged some personal “unease” at giving ministers powers to override the Brexit treaty but said they would not be needed if a trade deal was agreed as hoped with Brussels.

“What we cannot do now is tolerate a situation where our EU counterparts seriously believe that they have the power to break up our country,” he said.

“That illusion must be decently despatched.”

AFP