the very controversial “Internal Market” law passed at second reading in the British Parliament

The rebellion in his own conservative camp has been contained – for the moment – and a first parliamentary hurdle has been crossed: Boris Johnson managed to get his very controversial bill passed at second reading without too much difficulty. “The internal market”, Monday September 14 in the evening. Only about fifteen elected officials opposed this text, calling into question part of the country’s commitments under the divorce treaty with the European Union (EU) – 340 elected representatives voted in favor, 263 against.

It would have taken at least fifty Conservative rebels and more abstentions to worry the Prime Minister, who enjoys a very large majority in the House of Commons. However, this day of debates will probably remain in parliamentary annals as the one when MPs crossed the rubicond, in defiance of the cardinal principles of British democracy (the “Rule of law”), by voting on a text, which, admitted a few days earlier by Brandon Lewis, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, “Could violate international treaties in a limited and selective manner”.

” Security net “

“We cannot let Europeans think that they have the power to divide our country”, hammered Boris Johnson by opening the debates in Parliament, refining arguments already advanced the day before in a forum at the Daily Telegraph.

The divorce treaty with the EU was signed in 2019, and at the time, “In good faith, we have accepted the Northern Irish protocol [destiné à éviter le retour d’une frontière dure sur l’île d’Irlande]. But ” these last months “, claimed Boris Johnson, the EU would “Threatened” of “Block” the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, posing a risk to “The integrity of our country. (…) No British Prime Minister can accept this ”.

Read also Boris Johnson justifies his reversal on the Brexit deal to deal with EU ‘threats’

This is the reason why the head of government wanted the addition in the national law of a ” security net “ : in the event of no agreement on the future relationship between Brussels and London by the end of 2020, the draft law on the internal market gives the right to British ministers to take unilateral decisions on customs controls between the Great Brittany and Northern Ireland and the state aid regime in Northern Ireland. The Divorce Treaty, however, provides that these complex but very sensitive issues are decided jointly with Brussels.

You have 57.34% of this article to read. The rest is for subscribers only.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here