Rishi Sunak’s attempt to get Brexit «done» is facing a crucial week, with critical talks over resolving the row about Northern Ireland’s trading relations and a Tory revolt brewing over a proposed bonfire of EU laws. James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, will hold talks today with Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission vice-president, aimed at clearing the path for a deal in the first quarter of 2023 on the so-called Northern Ireland protocol, which governs the region’s trading arrangements. Last week the two sides secured a tentative breakthrough with a deal that will allow the EU to share «real-time» UK data on trade flows across the Irish Sea from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. However, much depends on whether Sunak can take on Eurosceptics in his party with a compromise deal and whether the EU, in turn, can show more flexibility in its position.
Meanwhile, Sunak’s plan for an automatic purge of «retained EU law» on the British statute book at the end of 2023 is coming under new criticism from senior Tory MPs, who want parliament to have more say on the process. The retained EU law bill, which has its final Commons report stage on Wednesday, has a «sunset clause» that scraps all EU legislation that has not been reviewed explicitly by ministers and retained. David Davis, former Brexit secretary, Sir Robert Buckland, former justice secretary, and Sir Bob Neill, chair of the Commons justice committee, have backed a move to give parliament more say over the process.
All of these problems could have never even existed. They shouldn't have existed but some bright minds thought it would be a good idea to just get out of the EU. I mean, why not, right?
ReplyDeleteThey are wasting billions on this Brexit instead of doing something worthwhile with the money.
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