BORIS SEES OFF REBELS
Rebel Tory MPs condemn ‘law-breaking’ Bill – but fall well short of sinking it
Boris Johnson got the first stage of his treaty-busting Brexit legislation through the Commons late last night – but only after a bruising day of criticism by Tory MPs.
The Prime Minister had earlier made a passionate appeal to MPs to back the internal Market Bill, telling them it was needed to stop the EU trying to ‘break up our country’.
in an olive branch to rebel MPs, Mr Johnson said Parliament would get a separate vote if ministers decided to invoke new powers that would over-ride elements of the Brexit deal signed by the PM last year.
Mr Johnson said the legislation was essential to prevent the EU from driving a wedge between Northern ireland and the rest of the UK in the event of trade talks failing.
He said Brussels had even threatened to ‘blockade’ British food exports, adding: ‘Absurd and selfdefeating as that action would be, the EU still have not taken this revolver off the table.’
Mr Johnson said: ‘i am afraid these threats reveal the spirit in which some of our friends are currently minded to conduct these negotiations.’
But to the alarm of Tory whips, the ranks of the rebels continued to swell throughout the day, led by a string of senior figures, including former chancellor sajid Javid.
Ministers had been confident they would win last night’s vote on the principle of the legislation, which is designed to protect the integrity of the UK’s internal market after Brexit.
But concern has grown that the rebels could join forces with Labour to inflict a damaging defeat on the Government next week when MPs will try to place a ‘parliamentary lock’ on the new powers.
Downing street refused to say whether Tory MPs who failed to support the Bill would be kicked out of the party, with a source saying: ‘All options remain on the table.’
David Cameron yesterday became the fifth former PM to criticise the Government’s plans, saying he had ‘grave misgivings’ about a move which ministers admit would ‘break international law’.
Mr Javid, who served as Mr Johnson’s Chancellor until February, said he was ‘unable to support’ the new law unless it amended.
He said it was ‘not clear’ why the UK had to break the law when the Brexit deal already contained mechanisms for resolving disputes.
rehman Chishti resigned his post as the PM’s envoy on religious freedom, saying: ‘As an MP for ten years and former barrister, values of respecting rule of law and honouring one’s word are dear to me.’
Two former attorney generals also condemned the move.
Geoffrey Cox, who served in Mr Johnson’s Cabinet until February, said the ‘unpalatable’ consequences of the PM’s Brexit deal were apparent when he signed it last year. Jeremy Wright, who served under Theresa May, said he was ‘profoundly disturbed’ by the threat to break international law.
Labour business spokesman Ed Miliband criticised Mr Johnson in the Commons, saying: ‘This is his deal. His mess and his failure. For the first time in his life it’s time to take responsibility. Either he wasn’t straight with the country about the deal in the first place or he didn’t understand it.’