British lawmakers to vote on bill to override part of Brexit deal

British lawmakers are set to hold key votes on a bill that will override part of the country’s EU withdrawal agreement on Tuesday, in spite of strong opposition in Brussels, Belfast and Dublin.

The government is expected to win votes on the bill after Prime Minister Boris Johnson compromised with rebel lawmakers in his Conservative party.

Johnson would, however, table an amendment that would require parliament to approve any implementation of the power to override the withdrawal agreement.

The prime minister wanted to create a legal “safety net” that would give him the power to override a provision that would impose different post-Brexit customs rules on Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

The provision seeks to prevent the creation of border checks between Northern Ireland, which is leaving the EU as part of the UK and EU-member the Republic of Ireland.

Critics, including five former British prime ministers and several senior Conservatives, warned that superseding part of the Brexit agreement could break international law and erode trust with the EU and other partners.

In a debate in the British parliament on Monday, Theresa May, Johnson’s predecessor as prime minister, said the UK Internal Markets Bill was “putting the integrity of the UK at risk.”

dpa/NAN.