Former Prime Minister Theresa May has said she \u201ccannot support\u201d the government\u2019s plan to override parts of its Brexit agreement with the EU.<\/p>\n
She told MPs the move, which breaks international law, would damage \u201ctrust in the United Kingdom\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Internal Market Bill will be voted on in the Commons on Tuesday, having passed its first hurdle last week.<\/p>\n
Ministers say it contains vital safeguards to protect Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.<\/p>\n
The bill is designed to enable goods and services to flow freely across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland when the UK leaves the EU\u2019s single market and customs union on 1 January.<\/p>\n
But it gives the government the power to change aspects of the EU withdrawal agreement, a legally binding deal governing the terms of the UK\u2019s exit from the EU earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Ministers say this is a failsafe mechanism in case the EU interprets the agreement, in particular the section on Northern Ireland, in an \u201cextreme and unreasonable\u201d way. The section \u2013 know as the protocol \u2013 is designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland,<\/p>\n
As well as Mrs May, the other four living former prime ministers \u2013 Sir John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron \u2013 have spoken out against the bill.<\/p>\n
Labour is opposing it and some Conservative MPs have raised concerns over its legal implications.<\/p>\n
Amid all this, Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week agreed to amend the bill so that the Commons would get a vote before he could use the powers involved in breaking international law.<\/p>\n
But Mrs May, whose own withdrawal agreement with the EU was repeatedly rejected by the Commons when she was prime minister, told MPs: \u201cFrankly, my view is to the outside world it makes no difference as to whether a decision to break international law is taken by a minister or by this Parliament \u2013 it is still a decision to break international law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis can only weaken the UK in the eyes of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that, if the Internal Market Bill were passed, \u201cour reputation as a country that sticks by its word will have been tarnished\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Conservative MP for Maidenhead added that governments around the world had \u201ctrust in the United Kingdom\u201d, asking: \u201cWhere will that trust be in future if they see a United Kingdom willing to break its word and break international law?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs May also said there would be \u201cuntold damage to the United Kingdom\u2019s reputation\u201d.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland Minister Robin Walker said the government still hoped to reach a trade agreement with the EU.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThrough this bill, we are acting to uphold those priorities and deliver commitments we made in our election manifesto that we will provide unfettered access between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, and maintain and strengthen the integrity and smooth operation of our internal market.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Walker also said there were \u201charmful legal defaults in some interpretations\u201d of the Northern Ireland Protocol.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe consequences of this for Northern Ireland in that scenario would be very damaging,\u201d he told MPs. \u201cWe cannot and will not run that risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Labour, shadow Cabinet Office minister Paul Blomfield said giving MPs the power to decide whether to use measures in the bill the Commons did not \u201cresolve the issue\u201d, which was \u201cthe breach of international law\u201d.<\/p>\n
SNP Westminster deputy leader Kirsten Oswald called the legislation \u201ca grubby power-grab which we cannot and will not support\u201d and that sections of it hung \u201clike a badge of dishonour around this prime minister\u2019s term of office\u201d.
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Former Prime Minister Theresa May has said she \u201ccannot support\u201d the government\u2019s plan to override parts of its Brexit agreement with the EU.<\/p>\n
She told MPs the move, which breaks international law, would damage \u201ctrust in the United Kingdom\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Internal Market Bill will be voted on in the Commons on Tuesday, having passed its first hurdle last week.<\/p>\n
Ministers say it contains vital safeguards to protect Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.<\/p>\n
The bill is designed to enable goods and services to flow freely across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland when the UK leaves the EU\u2019s single market and customs union on 1 January.<\/p>\n
But it gives the government the power to change aspects of the EU withdrawal agreement, a legally binding deal governing the terms of the U<\/p>\n
Ministers say this is a failsafe mechanism in case the EU interprets the agreement, in particular the section on Northern Ireland, in an \u201cextreme and unreasonable\u201d way. The section \u2013 know as the protocol \u2013 is designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland,<\/p>\n
As well as Mrs May, the other four living former prime ministers \u2013 Sir John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron \u2013 have spoken out against the bill.<\/p>\n
Labour is opposing it and some Conservative MPs have raised concerns over its legal implications.<\/p>\n
Amid all this, Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week agreed to amend the bill so that the Commons would get a vote before he could use the powers involved in breaking international law.<\/p>\n
But Mrs May, whose own withdrawal agreement with the EU was repeatedly rejected by the Commons when she was prime minister, told MPs: \u201cFrankly, my view is to the outside world it makes no difference as to whether a decision to break international law is taken by a minister or by this Parliament \u2013 it is still a decision to break international law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis can only weaken the UK in the eyes of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that, if the Internal Market Bill were passed, \u201cour reputation as a country that sticks by its word will have been tarnished\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Conservative MP for Maidenhead added that governments around the world had \u201ctrust in the United Kingdom\u201d, asking: \u201cWhere will that trust be in future if they see a United Kingdom willing to break its word and break international law?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs May also said there would be \u201cuntold damage to the United Kingdom\u2019s reputation\u201d.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland Minister Robin Walker said the government still hoped to reach a trade agreement with the EU.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThrough this bill, we are acting to uphold those priorities and deliver commitments we made in our election manifesto that we will provide unfettered access between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, and maintain and strengthen the integrity and smooth operation of our internal market.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Walker also said there were \u201charmful legal defaults in some interpretations\u201d of the Northern Ireland Protocol.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe consequences of this for Northern Ireland in that scenario would be very damaging,\u201d he told MPs. \u201cWe cannot and will not run that risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Labour, shadow Cabinet Office minister Paul Blomfield said giving MPs the power to decide whether to use measures in the bill the Commons did not \u201cresolve the issue\u201d, which was \u201cthe breach of international law\u201d.<\/p>\n
SNP Westminster deputy leader Kirsten Oswald called the legislation \u201ca grubby power-grab which we cannot and will not support\u201d and that sections of it hung \u201clike a badge of dishonour around this prime minister\u2019s term of office\u201d.
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