UK PM Johnson defeated in parliament on treaty-breaking Brexit law

The Boris Johnson government suffered a major defeat in the House of Lords on Monday when peers voted overwhelmingly to remove a section of the controversial Internal Markets Bill that would enable London to break international law after Brexit.

Five past prime ministers – Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major – have criticised the bill. After the 433-165 defeat, the bill returns to the House of Commons, where the government said it would re-insert the section and ensure its passage.

The bill has raised hackles not only in the UK and the EU but has also faced opposition from the US President-elect Joe Biden due to its impact on the Good Friday Agreement. It will adversely affect the UK’s reputation if it does not uphold the rule of law, critics argue.

In a major speech, John Major dwelt on the bill and the UK’s current global position, stating that “We are no longer a great power. We will never be so again…We are a top second-rank power.”

“Ministers have proposed legislation giving them powers to break the law. This is a slippery slope down which no democratic Government should ever travel...This action is unprecedented in all our history – and for good reason. It has damaged our reputation around the world.

“Lawyers everywhere are incredulous that the UK – often seen as the very cradle of the Rule of Law – could give themselves the power to break the law”, he said.

Former Conservative party leader Michael Howard was among over 40 party members who voted against the government in the House of Lords, as members from Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party insisted the bill could damage the country’s international reputation and standing.

However, a government spokesman said: “We will re-table these clauses when the bill returns to the Commons. We’ve been consistently clear that the clauses represent a legal safety net to protect the integrity of the UK’s internal market and the huge gains of the peace process.

“We expect the House of Lords to recognise that we have an obligation to the people of Northern Ireland to make sure they continue to have unfettered access to the UK under all circumstances.”

The bill, intended to enable goods and services to flow freely across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland after January 1, gives London the power to change aspects of the EU withdrawal deal, which is a legally binding arrangement that governs the terms of Brexit signed by Johnson in January.