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Many British MPs are dismayed by Prime Minister Johnson’s “Single Market Act”. There are even criticisms within our own ranks. Now two former heads of government spoke.
In the Brexit dispute, the pressure on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is growing. Former heads of government Tony Blair and John Major called on parliament to resist across party lines and blatantly called out Johnson’s plan to use a law to re-pierce the old EU exit deal.
Strong criticism of Brexit policy
In a joint article published in the Sunday Times, they called on British MPs to reject the law. “The actions of this government are shameful to themselves and shameful to our nation,” the former prime ministers wrote.
Johnson wants to use the so-called Single Market Act to undo crucial contract clauses in Northern Ireland that were controversial from the start. Its aim is to prevent a fixed border from developing between British Northern Ireland and the EU state Ireland.
The London government has admitted that the transaction would violate international law.
Parliament’s resistance too
Blair and Major have always opposed Britain’s divorce from the European Union. The two also played an important role in ending the bloody Northern Ireland conflict that lasted decades.
But there is also considerable resistance in the British Parliament, which plans to debate the law soon. According to media reports, around 30 Conservative MPs oppose the law. Johnson, however, has an 80-vote majority in the lower house. Labor leader Keir Starmer accused Johnson of turning back the clock. There was also strong criticism from the House of Lords.
EU signal words
With an urgent appeal in the Telegraph, Johnson tried to convince critics of his Brexit course. He harshly attacked the EU. The counterattack in the person of the EU negotiator Michel Barnier on Twitter.
The Northern Ireland agreements “do not threaten the integrity of the United Kingdom. We negotiated this delicate compromise with Boris Johnson and his administration to maintain peace and stability on the island of Ireland. We could not have been clearer about the consequences of Brexit.” . “In a second tweet, Barnier urged sticking to the facts.
Fear of the death sentence for a commercial contract
For the EU, the law is clearly a violation of the law. Brussels therefore asked London to give in by the end of September at the latest.
Critics fear that the proposed law could be the death sentence for the business contract that will regulate future economic relationships. Once the transition phase of Brexit is over, there is a risk of a break with tariffs and high no-contract trade barriers.
