UK’s Proposed Internal Market Bill Draws Ire of EU, Scotland Over Rollbacks

Posted on by JJRowson Posted in Politics, Uncategorized

Published: September 10

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Cited by: Urdu Point

MOSCOW, September 10 (Sputnik) – The UK government’s proposed Internal Market Bill is likely to draw the ire of political leaders in both Brussels and Edinburgh over its proposed changes to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and the system of governance in Scotland, which could increase the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit and lead to intensified calls for Scottish independence, experts told Sputnik.

Ahead of the bill’s publication, the UK government said in a press release that the new measures will facilitate “unhindered” trade across the whole of the United Kingdom, adding that a range of powers previously exercised by the EU would be given to the devolved legislatures.

Key components of the Internal Market Bill contradict the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement by giving ministers the power to determine rules governing state aid and the transport of goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

The UK left the European Union in January, triggering a transition period that is scheduled to expire at the end of the year. Negotiations between London and Brussels on several key issues, the most notable of which is a wide-ranging free trade deal, have been slow, and the UK government’s desire to alter the Withdrawal Agreement is likely to increase tensions at the negotiating table.

European Parliament President David Sassoli said on Wednesday that “trust and credibility” would be lost if the UK rolls back on its commitments, and it may be the case that Westminster’s latest decision will create further division between London and Brussels.

Speakers

Dharmendra Kanani, the director of insights at the Brussels-based think tank Friends of Europe.

“Behind closed doors, be in no doubt, this is a huge torpedo in the relations of trust between both sides. It’s also, unfortunately, in keeping with the form of [UK Prime Minister Boris] Johnson’s government and its approach to these negotiations,” Kanani remarked.

David Hearne, a researcher at Birmingham City University’s Centre for Brexit Studies.

“I cannot overstate how significant this is. To stand up and admit that the government actively intends to break a treaty (and international law) is quite a shocking development. The entire point of international agreements is to bind both sides to a particular course of action. Why would you sign an agreement with a country if you don’t trust it to keep to its word? This has the potential to wreck trade talks with the EU, the US and cause consternation further afield,” Hearne told Sputnik.

John Drummond, the chairman of the Constitutional Commission.

“In the past, the Scottish electorate were confronted with essentially three options. One, the status quo, i.e. no change to the constitution. Two was devolution, which for a long time was the preferred option, and the third was independence … The middle option was always the refuge for folks who were a little bit undecided whether they wanted the status quo … or independence. What the legislation effectively does is eradicate the middle position,” Drummond commented.