UK Government will remove controversial Brexit Bill clauses if there is a Brexit deal
In a clear olive branch to the EU as the negotiations for a deal go down to the wire, the UK Government has now confirmed it is willing to remove the clauses if the talks moved in the right direction.
They explained the clauses that had infuriated both the EU and Scotland would be dropped if the “solutions being considered” in the negotiations are agreed.
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Hide AdIn a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, the government said: "The UK and the EU have worked constructively together through the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee.
“Discussions continue to progress and final decisions are expected in the coming days.
“If the solutions being considered in those discussions are agreed, the UK Government would be prepared to remove clause 44 of the UK Internal Market Bill, concerning export declarations.
“The UK Government would also be prepared to deactivate clauses 45 and 47, concerning state aid, such that they could be used only when consistent with the United Kingdom’s rights and obligations under international law.”
The Internal Market Bill had already been rejected by the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which claim it “rides roughshod” over devolution.
The Bill has also been roundly criticised for breaking international law, although the UK Government has insisted it is both good for Scotland and legally sound.
Today the PM’s office insisted: “The UK Government is committed to the full implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol in a pragmatic, proportionate way which recognises Northern Ireland’s place in the UK’s customs territory, and upholds the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions.”
The Bill is returning to the Commons today after the House of Lords removed clauses that allowed ministers to ignore the Withdrawal Agreement.
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Hide AdMPs will now be asked to re-insert the powers, with a vote later tonight.
The PM’s spokesman made clear the talks would not continue into next year.
The spokesman said: “We are clearly in the final stages now. But we will continue to negotiate.
“We’ve been clear on our negotiating team are over there with the aim of reaching an agreement. And that’s what we’ll continue to work on.”
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