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Theresa May has told MPs that she will vote against a bill that gives British ministers the power to violate international law by breaching parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
Describing the internal market bill as reckless and damaging to Britain’s position in the world, the former prime minister rejected a compromise aimed at curbing a conservative rebellion.
“I believe that the government’s willingness to unilaterally abandon an international agreement or parts of an international agreement that it has signed, its willingness to renege on an agreement that it has signed will generate some questions, as has already been made clear in an intervention, some questioning the will of the government to fully respect the measures of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, ”he said.
“That, in turn, will make some communities less willing to trust the UK government and that could have an impact on the will of the people of Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK. So far from acting to bolster the integrity of the UK, in the pursuit of trying to appear tough on the EU, I think the government is putting the integrity of the UK at risk. “
World stage
Last week, the government agreed to give MPs a vote before clauses that violate the withdrawal agreement are activated, but May said the bill would still be unacceptable. She said the safeguards within the withdrawal agreement make powers unnecessary and that it would diminish Britain’s authority on the international stage.
“For the outside world, it doesn’t matter if the decision to violate international law is made by a minister or this parliament; it remains a decision that violates international law. This can only weaken the UK in the eyes of the world, ”he said.
“One of the great strengths we have as a country is our commitment to the rule of law, and this will have been damaged. Our reputation as a country that keeps its word will have been tarnished and the willingness of other countries to trust the UK and its values will have diminished. Too much for the global UK. ”
Counterproductive tactic
Former Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley also criticized the legislation, warning that it could upset the delicate political and constitutional balance in the North. But DUP’s Gavin Robinson said a commitment in the 2017 UK-EU joint report to avoid regulatory barriers between Northern Ireland and the UK had never been fulfilled.
Alliance MP Stephen Farry said the British government’s approach was counterproductive as a negotiating tactic. “The ministers rightly point out that a number of issues have yet to be resolved through the joint committee,” he said.
“For that, we must show the European Union that the UK can be trusted if various derogations are granted to the UK, but if we pass legislation that still contains the slightest threat of non-compliance with the existing agreement, why would the EU Would it be flexible and give us that confidence since we have not demonstrated the ability to comply with other previous agreements? ”
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