Boris Johnson’s government published legislation Wednesday allowing it to re-write parts of the Brexit divorce deal it signed with the European Union last year.
The move to tear up part of an international
treaty has sparked consternation in Brussels and could scupper efforts
to secure a key trade agreement between the two sides. It puts Britain
at risk of becoming a “rogue state,” according to Ian Blackford, a
Scottish lawmaker.
Will the U.K. break international law?
Yes,
the government says. It is seeking power to undo sections of the
Northern Ireland Protocol, part of the legally-binding Withdrawal
Agreement it signed with the EU in January.
Crucially, the bill states it will “have effect
notwithstanding inconsistency or incompatibility with international or
other domestic law.”
Senior Conservatives have warned that reneging on an
international treaty could damage the U.K.’s standing in other disputes
overseas, including with China over its imposition of a national
security law in Hong Kong.
What specifically has Johnson done?
He is rowing back from the policies affecting Northern Ireland he signed up to
as part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. The protocol is designed to
prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, at the cost of creating
a customs border in the Irish Sea....
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