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Tony Blair and Sir John Major have come together to accuse Boris Johnson of “embarrassing” the UK by proposing legislation that undermines his own Brexit deal.
The two former prime ministers, who unsuccessfully opposed Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum, claim that the prime minister’s UK Internal Market Act will damage the Irish peace process and trade talks.
Their attack comes before MPs debated the bill in the Commons on Monday, with Johnson facing off. a considerable conservative rebellion and an attempt by the rebel MPs to amend the bill.
In a very significant intervention, Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer has revealed that if the government “fixes” the concerns of MPs – allows amendments to the bill – then Labor is prepared to back it.
Writing in The Sunday Times, the two former prime ministers said: “We both opposed Brexit. We both accept that it is happening now.
“But this way of negotiating, with reason pushed aside for ideology and arrogant bombast that masquerades as serious diplomacy, is irresponsible, wrong in principle, and dangerous in practice.
“It raises questions that go far beyond the impact on Ireland, the peace process and the negotiations for a trade agreement, although they are crucial. It questions the very integrity of our nation.”
“As the world looks in horror at the United Kingdom, whose word was once accepted as inviolable, the action of this government shames itself and our nation.”
Blair and Sir John, who admitted that when they opposed Brexit in 2016 they were dismissed as “out of touch and out of time”, they bitterly attacked Johnson personally.
“We have become so used to the never-ending Brexit saga of misinformation and misdirection that hollow claims, empty promises and hollow threats have lost their power of shock,” they wrote.
“However, what is being proposed now is shocking. How can it be consistent with codes of conduct that oblige ministers, law enforcement officials and public officials to deliberately break treaty obligations?”
“As we negotiate new trade agreements, how can we save credibility as ‘Global Britain’ if we so blatantly ignore our commitments the moment we sign them?
“The government seeks to do so on the extraordinary pretext that it is necessary to violate international law to ‘save the Good Friday agreement’, which has given us peace in Northern Ireland for over two decades and completely changed the relationship between the Kingdom. Kingdom and its closest neighboring countries, the Republic of Ireland.
“We do not agree. The government’s action does not protect the Good Friday agreement, it puts it in danger.”
However, the attack is unlikely to upset Johnson and his inner circle of Brexiters, who will argue that Sir John and Blair’s views were rejected by voters in the referendum.
What worries the prime minister the most is the opposition from conservative MPs and support for an amendment to the bill that seeks to give parliament a veto on measures to change the EU Withdrawal Agreement.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Sir Keir accused the prime minister of turning back time and rekindling old disputes, urging him: “We should go ahead with the defeat of this virus, not dwelling on Europe.
“Go ahead with Brexit and defeat the virus. That should be the government’s mantra. The Labor Party is prepared to play its part to make that happen.”
“If the government addresses the substantial cross-party concerns that have been raised about the internal market bill, then we are prepared to back it.
“But if they don’t and the talks collapse, then it is their failure and incompetence that will have let the British people down.”
Sir Keir also wrote: “I am not blind to the fact that this could be part of the government’s negotiating strategy in recent weeks of talks.
“However, the decision to propose a bill last week that would break an international agreement that we signed a few months ago is incorrect.
“Many former Conservative Party leaders have come forward to say so. And I suspect that the prime minister agrees with them and knows that their actions are counterproductive.
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“First, the public’s trust has been broken. The deal that the prime minister promised will now be reopened. Divisions within the Conservative Party are rekindling.
“And at a time when we are all doing our best to follow the rules of social distancing, the ministers are on television and radio justifying why it is okay for them to violate international law. It is as ridiculous as it is frustrating.
“We have also broken the trust of our global partners. I believe that we can be a proud nation on the world stage and a moral force for good.
“We can work with our international partners to achieve the best trade deals possible. But the prime minister runs the risk of holding back global Britain. How can we get the best trade deals when we cannot be trusted to keep our word?”
