Brexit negotiations hit a formidable new barrier
By threatening to rewrite the withdrawal treaty, Boris Johnson’s government edges closer still to no deal
RUMOURS ABOUT a flagrant breach of international law first surfaced in the Financial Times on the evening of September 6th, only to be belittled by the government. A few brave Tory backbenchers cautioned against such a step. Theresa May, the former prime minister, asked: “How can the government reassure future international partners that the UK can be trusted to abide by the legal obligations of the agreements it signs?” It emerged that the government’s top legal adviser, Sir Jonathan Jones, had resigned apparently in protest at what was afoot. On September 9th the government published the bill in question, confirming the rumours had substance.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “A new barrier”
Britain September 12th 2020
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- The modern Tory party’s uncompromising nature has deep historical roots
From the September 12th 2020 edition
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