Page 29 - bon-dia-aruba-20200916

A29
world news Diaranson 16 september 2020

UK's Johnson defends planned law, says EU 'unreasonable'

(AP) — British Prime Minister Bo- to keep Northern Ireland — the only Jan. 1 would also hit some EU na- gium and the Netherlands, especially
ris Johnson on Monday defended part of the U.K. to share a border with tions, including Ireland, France, Bel- hard.
his plan to unilaterally rewrite Brit- the bloc — bound to some EU rules
ain’s divorce deal with the European on trade, to avoid the need for bor-
Union as an insurance policy against der checks on goods moving between
the bloc's unreasonable behavior — Northern Ireland and the Republic of
even as his former attorney general Ireland. Both sides accepted the com-
joined the ranks of once-loyal law- promise to protect the open border,
makers condemning the contentious which helps underpin the peace pro-
move. cess in Northern Ireland.

Johnson said a planned law designed The Internal Market Bill would give
to override portions of the Brexit the British government the power
withdrawal agreement was needed to override the EU’s agreed role in
because the EU might “go to extreme oversight of trade between Northern
and unreasonable lengths” in its treat- Ireland and the rest of the U.K.
ment of former member Britain. “I Johnson claims the EU has threat-
have absolutely no desire to use these ened to use “an extreme interpreta-
measures,” Johnson told lawmakers tion” of the withdrawal agreement to
as he introduced the Internal Mar- “blockade” food shipments from the
ket Bill in the House of Commons. rest of the U.K. to Northern Ireland
“They are an insurance policy.” John- unless Britain agrees to accept EU
son's Conservative government has regulations. The EU denies threat-
acknowledged that the bill breaches ening a blockade and says it merely
the legally binding withdrawal treaty wants Britain to live up to the terms
that Britain and the EU have both of the agreement. EU leaders are out-
ratified. The legislation threatens raged at the prime minister’s proposal
to sink the already-foundering ne- and have threatened the U.K. with le-
gotiations between Britain and the gal action if it does not drop the pro-
EU on a post-Brexit trade deal. The posal by the end of the month. Two
U.K. formally left the bloc on Jan. 31, former Conservative U.K. prime
but existing trade rules remain in ef- ministers, John Major and Theresa
fect until the end of this year under May, have condemned the legislation.
a transition designed to provide time On Monday a third, David Cameron,
to negotiate a long-term trade agree- said he had “misgivings.” Conserva-
ment. tive lawmaker Rehman Chishti quite
as the prime minister’s special envoy
Ed Milliband, business spokesman on freedom of religion in protest over
for the opposition Labour Party, ac- the bill. He tweeted Monday that as a
cused Johnson of “trashing the repu- former lawyer, “values of respecting
tation of this country and trashing the rule of law & honouring one’s word
reputation of his office.” are dear to me.”
With an 80-seat majority in the House
of Commons, Johnson is expected to What mystifies some observers is that
have enough votes to push his legisla- Johnson is repudiating a treaty that
tion through Parliament despite op- he himself negotiated and hailed as
position anger. an “oven-ready” deal that would “get
The bill easily cleared its first House Brexit done.” That declaration of vic-
of Commons vote by 340 to 263 on tory was key to Johnson's successful
Monday. It will now face attempts to December 2019 election campaign.
amend or overturn it during several “There was a political imperative
days of detailed scrutiny by lawmak- on the government to get an agree-
ers before another vote. There is wide ment and then to go to the electorate
unease within Johnson's party about with the claim that they had, to coin
the law-breaking move. a phrase, got Brexit done,” said Tim
Geoffrey Cox, who was the govern- Bale, professor of politics at Queen
ment’s top legal officer when John- Mary University of London. “I think
son negotiated the Brexit withdrawal it possibly was the case in some sens-
agreement less than a year ago, said es that it was ‘make the agreement in
reneging on the deal would be an haste and then repent at leisure.’ And
“unconscionable” breach of interna- what we’re seeing now is the repen-
tional law. tance.”
Johnson's move has dynamited he
“I simply cannot approve or endorse a dwindling trust between Britain and
situation in which we go back on our the EU as they try to negotiate a new
word, given solemnly,” Cox, previ- trading relationship.
ously a strong supporter of Johnson
on Brexit, told Times Radio. “The Talks are due to continue this week
breaking of the law ultimately leads in Brussels despite the chill in rela-
to very long-term and permanent tions. Both sides say any deal must be
damage to this country’s reputation.” agreed by next month so there is time
Sajid Javid, a former Treasury chief in for it to be ratified by Dec. 31.
Johnson's government, also said he If there is no deal, tariffs and other
would not vote for the bill, because impediments to trade will be imposed
“I cannot support the U.K. pre-emp- by both sides at the start of 2021. That
tively reneging” on the withdrawal would mean huge economic disrup-
agreement. As part of the Brexit di- tion for the U.K., which does half its
vorce deal, Britain and the EU agreed trade with the bloc. A no-deal exit on