Brexit deal as good as dead: Boris sticks two fingers to EU by keeping controversial bill

Brexit: France and Germany 'split' in negotiations says IDS

On Monday the House of Commons will re-consider the controversial Internal Market Bill, including two clauses which ministers have admitted would break international law. The legislation would break the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement signed by the UK and EU last year and Brussels had threatened to walk away from trade deal talks if it was passed in the House of Commons.

We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

The Government has always said the legislation was needed to protect the UK’s internal market in the event of a no deal.

But today the Prime Minister’s spokesman appeared to indicate the controversial clauses would remain in the Bill even if an agreement is reached by Michel Barnier and David Frost over the weekend.

It was previously assumed the parts of the Bill which offended the EU would be removed if a deal was struck.

Speaking this afternoon, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “The clauses represent a legal safety net to protect the integrity of the UK’s internal market and the huge gains of the peace process.

“Of course, we are committed to working in the joint committee to find a solution but we have an obligation to the people of Northern Ireland to ensure they continue to have unfettered access to the UK under all circumstances.”

In the Brexit divorce deal agreed last year, the UK and Brussels promised to set up a joint committee which would look at goods travelling from the UK mainland to Northern Ireland and determine which would be at risk of entering the EU’s single market.

More to follow…

Source: Read Full Article