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More than 20 Conservative MPs, including several former lawyers, are expected to rebel or abstain in the vote on Boris Johnson’s domestic market bill, which the government admits will violate international law, risking the possibility of losing the conservative whip.
Two former attorneys, former attorney general Geoffrey Cox and Rehman Chishti, who resigned as special envoy for religious freedom, told the government they will not endorse the bill on Monday night, along with former attorney Gary Streeter.
“There is concern among some lawyers in parliament about the effect this would have on their practice after they leave parliament; the school has made its point of view very clear, ”said a parliamentarian.
Others planning to abstain include Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the select defense committee, who said: “Everything is getting very high and the collateral damage to Britain is reaching the United States Congress, where people are baffled that we are going. down this avenue, “he said.
Questions and answers
What is the UK Internal Market Law?
The Internal Market Bill aims to enforce compatible rules and regulations regarding trade in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Some rules, for example around food safety or air quality, which were previously established by EU agreements, will now be controlled by decentralized administrations or Westminster. The domestic market bill insists that decentralized administrations must accept goods and services from all UK nations, even if their standards differ locally.
This, the government says, is in part to ensure that international traders have access to the UK as a whole, relying on standards and rules to be consistent.
The Scottish government has criticized it as a Westminster “takeover”, and the Welsh government has expressed fear that it will lead to a race to the bottom. If one of the countries that make up the United Kingdom lowers its standards, for example on the importation of chlorinated chicken, the other three nations will have to accept chlorinated chicken as well.
It has become even more controversial because one of its main goals is to empower ministers to pass regulations even if they are contrary to the withdrawal agreement reached with the EU under the Northern Ireland protocol.
The text does not disguise its intention, stating that the powers contained in the bill “have effect without prejudice to any relevant international or national law with which they may be incompatible or incompatible.”
Martin Belam and Owen bowcott
“Many of us are in conflict because I entered politics to promote Britain’s place on the international stage, and now we are in a time where there is an absence of political leadership, and we cannot hold our heads high if we Come to challenge international law. “
Most MPs who have doubts about the bill are expected to abstain rather than vote against, keeping the powder dry for next week’s votes, where amendments will be tabled. When asked if the Tory MPs who rebelled might lose the whip, Johnson’s spokesman said it was a political consideration rather than a question for him, but emphasized what he said was the importance of Tories backing the bill. bill.
“This is a piece of legislation that provides a vital legal safety net to ensure that the integrity of the UK can be protected, and it is critical that parliamentarians pass this bill before the end of the year,” he said.
When asked if, indeed, it would be treated as a trust issue for the government, he replied: “As I said, it is critical that we pass this legislation and have it entered in the statute books before the end of the year.”
More Conservative MPs said Monday they planned to abstain from the legislation and some hoped the government would back an amendment next week from the chairman of the justice selection committee, Bob Neill, another former lawyer, that would require parliamentary approval before any future decisions. . The government could waive the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the withdrawal agreement.
Supporters of the amendment include former Cabinet Minister Damian Green, the QC and former Justice Minister Oliver Heald, Northern Ireland Select Committee Chairman Simon Hoare, and Damian Collins, former Culture Select Committee Chairman, who hope I do not support the invoice.
Ellwood said the amendment was “one way the government could allow us to move forward on this.”
Others who can abstain Monday night include the chairman of the select committee on foreign affairs, Tom Tugendhat, and former transportation minister George Freeman. Others may openly rebel, but are expected to be fewer in number. Conservative veteran Sir Roger Gale has been one of the most angry, saying: “An Englishman’s word used to be his bond. Under Johnson that is not so. “
A high-ranking supporter against the bill said the tactics used by the whips were designed to scare those who were uncomfortable. “Unfortunately, this is being framed as pro or against Brexit again, even if you are a patriot,” the MP said. “Cox’s intervention should prevent me from descending into those shallow waters.
“Now they are relying heavily on loyalty to the prime minister, and there are a lot of people who want to get back into government and they will be tested today, no question.”
There is consternation even among loyal conservatives and veterans planning to back the government. A former cabinet minister said they would only back the bill “through clenched teeth.”
All five living former prime ministers have raised concerns about the bill, as have former Conservative leaders William Hague and Michael Howard.
On Monday, David Cameron said: “Passing an act of parliament and then breaking an international treaty obligation is the last thing you should contemplate. It should be an absolute final resource. So I have doubts about what is being proposed. “
Another MP who was undecided said some saw the House of Lords as a way out. “He doesn’t have a cat in hell of a chance to get through there, not with Michael Howard and Norman Lamont opposing, and we have a minority there anyway.”
Former Labor Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair and former Conservative Prime Minister John Major said the bill put the UK’s international obligation at risk. Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, also made clear in parliament that she is concerned about the implications of the bill.
“How can the government assure future international partners that the UK can be trusted to abide by the legal obligations of the agreements it signs?” she said. It is not clear what May, the only former prime minister who remains a deputy, will do with the legislation itself.
Downing Street has said the prime minister would open the debate on Monday afternoon, a last-minute change from business secretary Alok Sharma. Ed Miliband, the shadow business secretary, will be in Labor’s dispatch box, with Keir Starmer self-isolated after a family member showed symptoms of coronavirus.
