Lords look to defeat Brexit bill that breaks international law
The House of Lords will today vote on whether to remove clauses from Boris Johnson’s controversial Brexit legislation that could breach international law.
Peers, who are expected to vote to remove the clauses, voted overwhelmingly against Johnson’s Internal Market Bill in a symbolic “regret” motion last month.
The bill would see the UK unilaterally override parts of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement pertaining to Northern Ireland if the UK leaves the post-Brexit transition period on 31 December with no trade deal.
The EU has taken legal action over the bill, with Brussels also claiming it could put the Belfast Good Friday Agreement in danger.
The legislation will go back to the House of Commons next month if peers defeat the bill today, without the clauses pertaining to Northern Ireland.
However, it is considered likely the government will add the clauses back in if no Brexit trade deal has been struck.
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Labour shadow attorney general Lord Charlie Falconer told the Financial Times it was “not too late” for Johnson to “get back on the side of the law”.
“We always said the UK would pay a terrible price of breaking with the rule of law, and now, almost immediately after we can see that price being paid with the government’s actions being called out by the United States government,” he said.
The status of the Internal Market Bill could strain diplomatic relations between the incoming President and Johnson if no trade deal is reached and the UK-EU Brexit deal is breached.
The legislation has been criticised by President-Elect Joe Biden who said there would be no US-UK trade deal if the Good Friday Agreement is breached by the Johnson government.
Biden’s Irish ancestry is a point of pride for the former Vice President and his party also has a large contingent of Irish-Americans.
The UK and EU’s negotiating teams are meeting today in London to “redouble” efforts to close a deal before Britain leaves the single market and customs union on 31 December.