Former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair, left, and John Major (AP file photo)
LONDON: Former UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair and John Major said on Sunday Britain must abandon a “shocking” plan to pass legislation breaking its divorce treaty with the European Union, in violation of international law .
The British government explicitly said last week that it plans to violate international law by violating parts of the Withdrawal treaty it signed in January, when it formally left the EU.
“What is being proposed now is shocking,” wrote Major and Blair, who were adversaries in the 1990s as Conservative and Labor leaders, in a joint letter published by the Sunday Times newspaper.
“How can it be consistent with codes of conduct that oblige ministers, law enforcement officials, and public officials to deliberately breach treaty obligations?”
Theresa May, predecessor to current Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has also questioned whether international partners could trust Britain in the future.
Johnson says the new legislation is needed to clarify the Northern Ireland protocol element of the Brexit deal, to protect free trade between the four constituent nations of the UK.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said on Sunday that the Northern Ireland Withdrawal Agreement “is not a threat to the integrity of the UK” and that both sides agreed to protect peace on the island of Ireland.
“We could not have been clearer about the consequences of Brexit,” Barnier said on Twitter.
Earlier on Sunday, British Attorney General Robert Buckland told Sky News the legislation is “critical to Brexit” and must be passed by parliament, which will debate the bill on Monday.
Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labor Party, described the legislation as incorrect on Sunday.
“We have broken the trust of our international partners,” Starmer wrote in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, adding that his party would oppose the bill in parliament unless changes were made.
European lawmakers have warned that they will not approve any new trade deals unless the withdrawal agreement is fully implemented, while there is also talk of possible legal action.
“The UK’s reputation … as a trusted negotiating partner on important matters like this is being damaged in a very serious way,” Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told the BBC on Sunday.
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