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Theresa May has launched a searing attack on the government’s plan to grant itself powers to renege on the special deals for Northern Ireland in the Brexit deal.
She described the plans as “reckless” and “irresponsible” and said they “put the integrity of the UK at risk” as they would not only tarnish Britain’s reputation globally as an upholder of the law, but could contribute to a reunited Ireland.
In a spirited speech in the House of Commons, she said: “I cannot stress enough how concerned I am [that] the conservative government is willing to break its word to break an international agreement signed in good faith and violate international law ”.
Sitting next to two former Northern Ireland Conservative party secretaries, Karen Bradley and Theresa Villiers, and Sir Bob Neill, who threatened a secondary rebellion against the government, she said there could never be a time when a minister could walk through the voting halls and saying yes to breaking the law. May said the bill would also mean that trust would be undermined in future negotiations with other countries. “Too much for the global UK,” she joked.
Belfast South MP Claire Hanna of the SDLP said Boris Johnson’s government had to face the consequences of the kind of Brexit it agreed to and should not “feign shock” when nine months later it emerged that there would be trade barriers between the east and the West.
“The government is acting recklessly and irresponsibly with no thought for the long-term impact on the UK’s position in the world. This will lead to incalculable damage to the reputation of the UK. It puts the future of the UK at risk. And as a result, with regret, I have to tell the minister that I cannot support this bill, ”he said.
The bill, which is designed to regulate intra-UK trade after Brexit, was introduced by Downing Street two weeks ago, catching Conservative MPs, opposition parties and the EU by surprise.
A secondary rebellion, now believed to have been controlled by Downing Street, arose when it became clear that the bill included three clauses that would allow the government to waive parts of the Northern Ireland protocol without regard to co-signatories to an international treaty. .
Northern Ireland Office Minister Robin Walker defended the clauses, saying they were necessary to ensure that nothing in the withdrawal agreement protocol “prevents Northern Ireland’s unrestricted access to the rest of the UK.”
But May responded, saying there were three reasons why clauses 41 to 45 “had no place” in the bill and could weaken support for Westminster in Northern Ireland.
“That, in turn, will lead to some communities being less willing to trust the UK government and that would have an impact on the willingness of the people of Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK,” he said.
“So, far from acting to strengthen the integrity of the UK, in the pursuit of trying to appear tough to the European Union, I think the government is putting the integrity of the UK at risk,” the former prime minister added. .
Former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith said he “did not believe a word” of claims that violating international law would undermine confidence in the UK because, he said, the EU itself violated international law.
