The dissent on the work of Boris Johnson is spreading. The Conservative premier managed to obtain a majority in the first vote of the Municipalities on theInternal Market Bills, the controversial bill which calls into question, through a national provision, some of the post-Brexit commitments signed in the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, first of all the one concerning the trade and customs status of Northern Ireland.
The measure passed with 340 votes in favor and 263 against, but the majority is less firm than it might seem. In fact, they have registered within the conservative frond a twenty abstentions in protest, including those of government veterans like Sajid Javid and former attorney general (and staunch Brexiteer) Geoffrey Cox. Two explicit Nos expressed by Roger Gale and Andrew Percy, now in the process of being expelled from the group. To these are added a dozen absentees.
But there is also a lot of noise in the United Kingdom tough as unprecedented position taken by the five former Prime Ministers still living: Theresa May, David Cameron, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and John Major. Former Downing Street tenants have come out against the Internal Market Bill.
The Government's decision to go ahead with a law that violates international law (by Johnson's own admission) is being described as "irresponsible, wrong in principle and dangerous in practice". “It – reads an article published in the Sunday Times – raises questions that go beyond the impact on peace in Ireland and on the negotiations with Brussels for a future trade pact, putting question the honor of our nation".
In recent days, the draft law has also provoked a strong reaction from the European Union, which has ordered Johnson to withdraw the measure by the end of the month, under penalty of resorting to "legal action". The conservative prime minister, for the moment, seems willing to go straight down his path. Yesterday, September 14, is the first of a series of votes in the British Parliament. Johnson presented the project to parliamentarians arguing that it serves to "take the gun off the table" that the EU could use against the United Kingdom in the event of a failure in negotiations on future trade relations. Second, he Brussels could interpret the protocol on Northern Ireland contained in the divorce agreement in an "extreme" way, up to a possible "blockage of the transport of food products and agricultural goods within our country” and the demand for “duties” on the internal British border between Ulster and the rest of the United Kingdom. An eventuality flatly denied by the EU.
However, the last word has not yet been said. The provision will be examined on 22 September by the Commissions. Then he will return to the classroom for the final reading. Later it will be up to the Lords, who may decide to block him. Meanwhile, former minister Bob Neill anticipated the presentation of an amendment he plans to give to the House veto power over all passages of the law that are incompatible with international law. If the amendment passes, Westminster could reduce the impact of the proposal, avoiding a total break with Brussels.
