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Accompanied by drastic words, British Prime Minister Johnson presented his controversial internal market law in the House of Commons. A first vote of the night, considered a barometer of sentiment, was positive for Johnson.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his Brexit policy in the House of Commons against mounting criticism, even within his own ranks. The internal market law he has planned is necessary because the European Union did not remove the “gun” from the table in the negotiations, Johnson told MPs when he presented his bill to parliament. The EU threatens a food blockade by saying it can stop British exports to Northern Ireland.
In the evening, the parliament voted in first reading in favor of the controversial Brexit amendment. 340 MPs voted in favor of the bill, compared to 263. The new Single Market Law would unilaterally change the Brexit deal signed with the EU in January. The first vote of the night was seen as a barometer of opinion for the law, the passage of which is far from certain.
“Draw customs borders through our country”
“The intent of this law is to prevent the use of such a club against this country,” Johnson had previously said. “It’s protection, it’s a safety net, it’s an insurance policy, and it’s a very reasonable measure.” What should not be done now is “tolerate a situation in which our EU counterparts seriously think they have the power to divide our country.” He expected the EU to be “sensible”.
The prime minister accused the EU of using the exit agreement agreed in January to set up trade barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. The EU threatens to “draw customs borders through our own country” and “divide our own country,” Johnson said.
A situation should not arise “in which the borders of our country are dictated by a foreign power or an international organization,” Johnson told deputies. “No British prime minister, no government, no parliament could accept such an imposition.”
Johnson wants new rules for Northern Ireland
With the so-called Internal Market Law, Johnson wants to deepen the already valid Brexit agreement. These are the suspension of customs regulations in the trade of goods for Northern Ireland and the requirements on state aid for British companies.
From the point of view of many critics in the EU and Britain, the law provides a cliff for a violation of the already ratified treaty for Britain to leave the international community. Even the British government admitted an international violation of the law, but described it as “very specific and limited”.
The EU insists that London must adhere to the treaty and its commitment to the letter not to allow a so-called hard border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.
Strong criticism, not only from the opposition
It is not certain that the law will pass in parliament, as Johnson is now threatened with an uprising within his own faction. Many conservatives, including Brexit supporters, do not want to support the intended breach of the law and are calling for the draft to be withdrawn. They fear that the breakup could shake international confidence in Britain and endanger the fragile peace in Northern Ireland.
The British opposition accused Johnson of damaging the country’s reputation. “I never thought that respecting international law would be a subject of disagreement in my life,” said Labor MP Ed Miliband. “I never imagined that he (Johnson) would come up and say, ‘We are going to make laws to violate international law because of an agreement we signed less than a year ago.’
The debate will continue in the next few days and the decisive vote will not take place for another week. After that, however, the law still needs to pass in the House of Lords. There, too, there were already criticisms of the squad. This could lead the House of Lords to demand improvements and the presentation would later end up again in the House of Commons.
Several former prime ministers, including conservatives like John Major, Theresa May and David Cameron, had previously clearly distanced themselves from Johnson’s plans. Former Attorney General Geoffrey Cox also accused Johnson of damaging Britain’s reputation.
The free trade agreement is at stake
The UK government’s plans also weigh on ongoing negotiations on future relations and a trade deal between the EU and the UK. They must be finalized by mid-November at the latest for an agreement to be reached before the end of the year if Britain also leaves the internal market and the customs union. Otherwise, customs barriers will go down again in mutual trade.
