UK Upper House Voices Regret Over Johnson's Internal Market Bill Overriding Brexit Deal

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th October, 2020) The UK's upper chamber of parliament, the House of Lords, approved on Tuesday an amendment criticizing the government's Internal Market Bill, which is to override parts of the Brexit agreement, out of concern that the proposal would undermine the rule of law and damage the UK's reputation if passed into law.

The amendment condemning disputed provisions in the bill was proposed by Lord Igor Judge, and passed by 395 votes to 169.

"We all know this Bill is illegal and we know it flouts important constitutional issues and threatens devolution. More than that, we know it has already eroded trust in our institutions and we know it is damaging the reputation of this country, which promotes the rule of law," Liberal Democrat peer Christopher Fox said during the general debate.

The Internal Market Bill, which proposes rolling back some of the commitments the UK made on state aid and customs checks on goods entering Northern Ireland, was approved by the Conservative-dominated House of Commons, but it will undergo further scrutiny in the House of Lords, where the ruling party does not have majority, until it is sent back to the Commons for its final vote.

According to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the controversial legislation would ensure barrier-free trade between the United Kingdom's four constituent nations in the event current post-Brexit talks are unsuccessful, but the European Union has accused the UK of breaching the "good faith" of the withdrawal agreement.

The condemnation of the bill by the UK peers comes at a time that post-Brexit trade talks between London and Brussels have entered a stalemate over fishing quotas and the level playing field, potentially increasing the chances of a no-deal Brexit when the transition period ends on December 31.