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UK Bill Breaking International Law Passes Vote

London, England —(Map)

Yesterday, the United Kingdom’s House of Commons passed a bill which would allow changes to the Brexit deal the country signed with the European Union just last year. The bill, which would break international law, has upset many people.

Brexit
Brexit is a word made up to describe the British Exit   from the European Union (EU). In a special vote in 2016, more than half of the voters in the United Kingdom (UK)   chose to leave the EU. The two sides reached an agreement last year, and the UK officially left the EU on January 31, 2020.

Brexit image - torn UK Flag over EU flag
After years of discussions, the UK and the EU reached an agreement last year allowing the UK to leave the EU. But last year’s deal didn’t cover trade agreements between the countries. Those agreements must be completed by the end of this year.
(Source: Tim Reckmann, [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.)

After years of discussions, the UK and the EU reached an agreement last year allowing the UK to leave the EU. But last year’s deal didn’t cover trade agreements between the countries. Those agreements, which are complicated and tricky, must be completed by the end of this year.

One thing that made Brexit discussions so difficult before was the question of how the Irish borders would work. Ireland and Northern Ireland are both part of the same island. But Ireland is part of the EU, and Northern Ireland is part of the UK.

Political capitals of the countries Ireland and Northern Ireland
One thing that made Brexit discussions so difficult were the borders in Ireland. Ireland and Northern Ireland are both part of the same island. But Ireland is part of the EU, and Northern Ireland is part of the UK.
(Source: Jonto at English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons.)

Recently, Mr. Johnson has been pushing for a new bill, called the “Internal Market Bill”, that would claim the UK has the power to break some parts of last year’s agreement that have to do with Northern Ireland.

The planned law has shocked and upset many people because it would break international law – something even the government has admitted.

Boris Johnson leaving for PMQ's. The Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaving No10 Downing Street for PMQ’s in the House of Commons. 09/09/2020. London, United Kingdom.
Mr. Johnson has been pushing for a new bill, called the “Internal Market Bill”, that would give the UK the power to break some parts of last year’s agreement having to do with Northern Ireland. Above, Mr. Johnson on his way to the House of Commons last week.
(Source: Andrew Parsons, Number 10, via Flickr.com.)

Mr. Johnson says the new bill would protect the UK if the EU tries to use last year’s agreement in an unfair way. He says he doesn’t want to actually use the powers in the bill, but he wants to have them as “insurance”.

EU leaders are very upset about the bill because it breaks last year’s agreement. The EU has demanded that the bill be dropped before the end of September. They have made it clear that if the bill passes, it will make future discussions very difficult.

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EU leaders are very upset about the bill because it breaks last year’s agreement. The EU has demanded that the bill be dropped before the end of September. Above, Michael Barnier, who is leading the talks for the EU speaks with reporters.

The Labour Party, which opposes Mr. Johnson’s Conservatives, is also against the bill. In fact, many people in Mr. Johnson’s own party strongly dislike the bill. All five living ex-prime ministers, including three Conservatives, have condemned the bill.

But none of that stopped the bill from passing in the House of Commons yesterday, 340 to 263. The Conservatives have an 80-seat majority, which helped Mr. Johnson push the bill through, even though 30 Conservatives didn’t vote and two voted against the bill.

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The bill passed in the House of Commons yesterday, 340 to 263. The Conservatives have an 80-seat majority, which helped Mr. Johnson push the bill through, even though 30 Conservatives didn’t vote and two voted against the bill.

The bill’s next test will happen next week when the House of Commons considers an amendment (change) to the bill that would take out the parts that are upsetting people. If the bill passes another vote, it will go to the House of Lords, where it will face stronger opposition.

Some people think Mr. Johnson is trying to shock the EU, hoping to use the bill to get better trade deals. Many people worry that the UK and the EU could wind up with no trade deal at all, which would be hard on both sides.

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Some people think Mr. Johnson is trying to shock the EU, hoping to use the bill to get better trade deals. Many people worry that the UK and the EU could wind up with no trade deal at all, which would be hard on both sides.

Many people also question whether it’s a good idea for the UK to become known as a country that breaks its agreements. The UK is hoping to reach a new trade deal with the United States (US). Several US lawmakers have said the bill threatens the chances for such a deal.

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