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'Bonfire of Rights' Bill will unleash chaos
18/01/2023
Today, MPs will debate and vote on the Retained EU Law Bill which if passed, could endanger thousands of rights and protections in the UK.
Environmental groups are unsatisfied with Green Brexit's weaker regulations. The UK's touted departure from the EU has led to a great reshuffling of regulations across the board. However, for many environmental advocacy groups, these changes are quickly proving to be not in the planet's favor.
'I’m afraid that this article by Jacob Rees-Mogg is deeply disingenuous.' - George Peretz KC
10/11/2022
'I will be selective about the inaccuracies (and won’t refight Brexit arguments), but start with the ludicrous claim at the bottom of column 1.'
“This represents the death knell for frictionless trade," said one business leader.
EA chief executive Sir James Bevan argues strong environmental regulation crucial to post-pandemic economic recovery.
Labour says leaked proposals a ‘disgrace’ but business secretary insists government will not water down standards.
A recipe for bad lawmaking’ — company bosses slam ‘Brexit bonfire’ bill as poll shows support for stability
03/05/2023
Company bosses said they would prefer to retain the remaining EU laws rather than see them scrapped.
THEY say a week is a long time in politics – and this week has certainly felt it! Intent on further undermining the devolution settlement and Scottish democracy, the UK Government is pushing ahead with its flawed Retained EU Law (REUL) Bill later today.
The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill to scrap European laws was introduced by the UK Government on Thursday.
There were sighs of relief in many quarters when it was announced that the British government was not going ahead with plans for a wholesale bonfire of EU regulation.
Are we getting Brexit done?
05/01/2023
The UK has identified nearly 4,000 EU laws and regulations which we are now “free from”. What have we done with these newfound freedoms?
Insurance regulator says post-Brexit softening of rules will put billions of pounds of pension saving at risk.
In frank interview, EU chief negotiator tells Britain that any lowering of regulatory standards will be punished.
Beware the ‘Brexit Freedoms Bill’: it’s a wrecking ball which threatens our rights and environmental protections
28/11/2022
Just when we breathed a sigh of relief that the lettuce had won the battle of shelf-life with Truss, we find that a Bill originally sponsored by arch-Brexiteer, Jacob Rees-Mogg, is being rushed through Parliament, and is set to ‘double down’ on the economic and societal damage already inflicted on this country by Brexit.
Opposition to the retained EU law bill is mounting, as the government discovers the importance and popularity of EU law.
Over 1,000 staff were redeployed to deal with the fall-out from leaving the EU. Now, the financial consequences are coming to light.
Why Rees-Mogg’s bill to sunset EU laws is so inflammatory and what you can do about it.
Boris Johnson accused of eyeing post-Brexit US trade deal by ripping out food safeguards imposed by parliament
26/10/2019
‘This is clearly an attempt to make it harder for the public and parliament to ensure protections are not traded away’
Trade secretary says scrapping protections ‘vital for giving us the freedom and flexibility’ to sign deals.
Brussels rules out 'mutual recognition' of regulations between EU and UK ahead of talks.
Chlorinated chicken is just the start. The government intends to rip up food standards, public services and public protections.
‘Every parent wants their children to grow up in a healthy environment with clean water, fresh air and thriving natural wonders. Being part of the EU helps protect these precious resources and spaces.’
Animal health bodies have welcomed the government’s U-turn on its plans for scrapping swathes of retained EU legislation, which could have wiped out 44 animal welfare laws.
Brexit bonfire of environment regulations will kill otters, dolphins and birds, warn conservationists
23/09/2022
Government’s plan to ‘streamline’ environmental regulations could put dormice, porpoises and bats under threat.
Brexit bonfire of EU laws could let water companies conceal sewage discharges, campaigners warn
14/03/2023
The Environmental Information Regulation allows the public to demand data from private water companies, but it is at risk of being scrapped by the Government.
Rishi Sunak plans to rip up remaining EU laws by the end of the year left on the statute book after Brexit - but experts worry that any relaxation in seatbelt rules will discourage people from wearing them.
Campaigners say next government must clamp down to avoid risks to human health.
Brexit Freedoms Bill - freedom from what?
11/02/2022
Mired in politicking, the Brexit Freedoms Bill that will ‘move us away from outdated EU laws’ has still to be published. What lawyers are confronted with at present is an elaborate game of charades.
Scotland’s constitution secretary has warned the UK government’s so-called Brexit Freedoms Bill poses a renewed threat to devolution.
“Changing data protection law is very central to the government’s post-Brexit policy. We all remember the A-levels fiasco in 2020."
EU law is not bad for our health and safety – unfortunately, the same cannot be said of our government.
Rishi Sunak is facing a backlash from Tory Brexiteers after ditching a promise to complete a “bonfire” of remaining EU-era laws by the end of the year.
Private equity veteran Guy Hands says Boris Johnson ‘threw the country and the NHS under the bus’.
Brexit law bonfire could cost put environment at risk and cost tens of billions of pounds, nature groups warn
19/01/2023
Nature organisations have hit out at legislation that they say could lead to the loss of important environmental protections and cost the UK tens of billions of pounds.
The UK's Environment Information Regulations have enabled researchers and campaigners to force water firms to publish data on river pollution, but they may be scrapped as part of the Brexit process.
Brexit trade deals will be worse than current EU deals, says Liam Fox's former trade chief
24/03/2019
Countries are likely to offer the United Kingdom worse trade deals than it currently enjoys as a member of the European Union, the former head of Liam Fox's International Trade Department has told Business Insider.
Three years on, we are covered in the scars of what it has done to this country.
Real pay set to be £470 lower per worker each year, say top economists. / “We can’t blame Brexit for all of the 5.2 per cent GDP shortfall … but it’s apparent that Brexit is largely to blame,” said John Springford, author of the CEF study.
Diverge or converge? The choices facing Ireland, the United Kingdom and the European Union revolve around whether UK policy and its socio-economic model diverge from those of the EU or remain close to them in coming years.
Brexit: has ambiguity run its course?
04/06/2021
“Australian Brexit” used to be an upbeat euphemism for a “no deal” Brexit outcome. Now, Australia promises a far more profound insight into the true nature of Brexit.
The government has ditched its plan for thousands of EU-era laws to expire automatically at the end of the year.
Britain could slash environmental and safety standards 'a very long way' after Brexit, Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg says
06/12/2016
The MP said standards that were 'good enough for India' could be good enough for the UK.
Controversial Tory bill set to inflict further damage on businesses, with no clues yet about incoming legislation.
Britain must follow ‘rules of the game’ if it wants access to our markets, EU president warns
09/03/2020
Ursula von der Leyen says UK must make up its mind.
EU could impose punitive tariffs on key British exports such as beef if UK seeks to lower regulatory standards.
Leading British business groups and unions have called on Rishi Sunak to delay post-Brexit plans to shred all retained EU laws by 2023.
“Car crash!” exclaimed managing director Andrew Varga, whose Brexit progress I have been following since the referendum. News of the latest Brexit U-turn landed on him on Tuesday out of the blue. All his years of preparation for a new UK product safety mark, all his thousands of pounds wasted, all the uncountable hours and effort were rendered pointless, at a stroke.
UK government plans to scrap thousands of EU laws at the end of 2023 should be reconsidered, according to a cross-party group of Senedd members.
Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament? / If so, you can submit your views in writing to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider this Bill.
The health and safety industry has warned the government that it might not be a good idea to throw out every European-related law.
A POST-BREXIT “bonfire of banking rules” planned by the UK Government risks driving up food and energy prices even further, campaigners have warned.
In our series looking at life after Brexit, James Moore asks whether London’s financial centre can weather the economic storm.
The former Green Party co-leader argued the new bill launches "an attack on nature like we've never seen before".
Rishi Sunak reportedly planning to open bidding for towns, cities and regions to become designated zones where UK taxes and tariffs will not apply.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has been accused of encouraging a “race to the bottom” after he unveiled ‘big bang’ plans to slash City red tape.
Ministers are facing a clash with opposition and Conservative MPs over their plans to scrap EU-era laws copied over to UK law after Brexit.
The LBC presenter read out all the rights we could lose under Jacob Rees-Mogg's retained EU law bill and put them to Mick Lynch.
Commons Speaker blasts Kemi Badenoch over EU laws bonfire U-turn: ‘Who do you think you are speaking to?’
11/05/2023
Lindsay Hoyle enraged by business secretary’s response to criticism.
Thousands of EU laws could expire at the end of 2023.
Thousands of pro-consumer laws we take for granted could expire at the end of 2023.
Contaminated food ‘will be a problem if EU rules are ditched’, Food Standards Agency says
01/11/2022
People are at risk of eating contaminated food if Rishi Sunak presses ahead with a deadline for scrapping EU regulations, the safety watchdog has warned.
The CBI warns "the job of untangling 40 years of economic and regulatory integration is mammoth and should not be underestimated". / The employers' group said the EU's single market "is one of the most sophisticated systems of economic rules in existence".
First came Brexit. Now comes Britain’s bonfire of European laws. / Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is pushing ahead with a contentious plan to remove all remaining European Union laws from Britain’s statute book by the end of 2023, despite opponents’ claims that the move is rash and unworkable.
An SNP MP has warned that plans to axe thousands of pieces of EU legislation by the end of the year could result in many things “needlessly catching fire”.
Don't scrap EU rules, firms and unions say
24/11/2022
Business groups and unions are urging the government not to go ahead with plans to ditch a wide range of EU laws, warning the move could cause "confusion and disruption" in the UK.
Critics argue that the social change required would be unacceptable.
Environment Agency chief provokes outcry over support for watering down protections for rivers and lakes
20/08/2020
The head of the Environment Agency has called for less rigorous measures to determine water quality in England’s rivers, lakes and beaches after Brexit – a move which would allow the government to classify more waterbodies as being at a high standard.
The head of the Environment Agency has endorsed a proposal to weaken laws on cleanliness of polluted rivers, lakes and coastlines after Brexit.
Environmentalists raise concerns Government is ‘watering down’ plans for green Brexit and recovery
20/07/2020
Environment Secretary George Eustice sought to reassure campaigners, but fears Government will let green standards slide remain.
Establishing the tax havens could make it harder to sign a trade deal with the EU.
Brussels has warned Britain not to break their post-Brexit trade deal by slashing regulation in its new drive for economic growth.
The government is planning to water down the regulatory requirements on key chemicals, in what experts fear could be the first move to a weaker post-Brexit safety regime for potentially toxic substances.
Rishi Sunak has smothered the “Brexit bonfire” of EU laws – and hard-line Brexiteers are fuming with rage. But the prime minister smartly refused to be the face of this u-turn, putting business secretary Kemi Badenoch on the front stage herself.
New research reveals 212 ‘safety’ regulations set to lapse – to draw line under Brexit.
Caps to limit trading in dark pools are set to be scrapped by both jurisdictions, sparking worry for Susquehanna International.
Fears of ‘bonfire’ of EU laws behind parliament’s back under new plans to seize ‘Brexit freedoms’
31/01/2022
A bonfire of EU laws on everything from data privacy to road standards will be forced through behind parliament’s back under new plans to seize “Brexit freedoms”, it is feared.
UK GOVERNMENT plans threatening nuclear and radiation safety laws in a “Brexit bonfire” have provoked resistance from regulators and trade unionists, opposition from Scottish ministers, and alarm from campaigners.
Alarm raised over business ‘barriers’ which ‘cost jobs and money in the UK’ – as public unhappiness confirmed. / “no appetite for widespread deregulation or divergence from EU rules” – UK Trade and Business Commission
‘Potential consequences are deeply alarming’, says Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
While all eyes were on No 10 on Tuesday as Rishi Sunak became the UK’s new prime minister, down the road MPs were debating the Brexit Freedoms Bill – a piece of legislation that could have profound implications for public health and businesses alike.
The UK government’s post-Brexit plan to ditch all EU laws by the end of next year have fallen further into jeopardy, after civil servants discovered 1,400 more pieces of retained legislation.
Strategy described as ‘missed opportunity’ as final wording merely commits to ‘considering’ animal welfare.
In London for LSE symposium, politicians express confusion at Britain’s post-Brexit stance
Labour peer Baroness Hayter has claimed attempts by government to limit parliamentary scrutiny of the repeal of EU laws is "irresponsible and potentially dangerous", as the government prepares to review and scrap or recycle around 4,000 pieces of legislation by the end of this year.
The government has announced a major climbdown over its Brexit plans to remove EU laws from British statue books by the end of the year.
Government considering using Brexit "freedoms" to ditch EU car safety measures designed to protect cyclists
07/02/2022
Britain may use Brexit "freedoms" to ditch planned EU car safety regulations designed to better protect pedestrians and cyclists, the government has said.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has confirmed the government is looking at scrapping some EU labour laws now it is no longer bound by the bloc's rules.
Government has already scrapped 140 EU environment regulations since Brexit, Thérèse Coffey says
30/11/2022
The government has already scrapped 140 European environmental regulations since Britain left the EU, Thérèse Coffey has said.
Faced with opposition from the House of Lords, the government backtracks on plans for the biggest ever change to our laws. So, what now? / Few things illustrate the absurdity and irresponsibility of Brexit better than the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill (REUL).
The government has said it could use its new Brexit "freedoms" to ditch planned EU car safety regulations. / Package of measures aimed to reduce head injuries and pedestrian deaths.
The government has suffered defeats in the House of Lords over plans to scrap certain EU laws by the end of the year. / Peers backed an amendment which would give Parliament greater scrutiny over which rules should be ditched.
Big firms want Donald Trump to play hard ball over the NHS, food quality and consumer rights.
In the months after Boris Johnson signed his post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, the coronavirus masked the economic damage of leaving the bloc. As the pandemic drags on, the cost is becoming clearer -- and voters are noticing.
How Brexit stuffed the City
14/06/2023
The banks pay huge amounts of tax. If they lose business, then Britain’s economy will suffer.
It is increasingly clear that Brexit is doing enormous damage to Britain’s economy. And for what, exactly?
Not everyone is convinced that scrapping a number of regulations imposed after the 2008 financial crash will benefit the economy.
Is Brexit bad for the environment?
08/02/2023
REUL: Scant time remains to assess which former EU legislation to keep, amend or revoke – and the environment is likely to pay the price. / While we were EU members, the UK adopted some legislation created by the EU. Jacob Rees-Mogg called them “diktats” and promised that after Brexit we’d “take back control of our laws”. This is disingenuous: the UK was fully involved in drawing up EU law.
The Retained EU Law Bill would scrap over 4,000 pieces of legislation. / Rishi Sunak has started to retreat from plans to push forward the potentially disastrous Retained EU Law bill, one report has claimed.
BRITAIN can rest easy. The country’s bananas are safe and will not be subject to “malformation or abnormal curvature” following the UK Government’s decision to abandon throwing 4,000 pieces of EU law onto the Brexit bonfire by the year’s end.
Jacob Rees-Mogg issues plea to readers of The Sun to flag possible Brexit benefits to him
10/02/2022
Jacob Rees-Mogg has issued a plea to readers of a tabloid newspaper to write to him if they can identify any possible benefits of Brexit.
Threshold for exemption from regulations lifted from 50 to 500 workers – and to include EU ‘retained law’.
‘Sparkling wine contains same pressure as tyre of large van’: Industry voices concern over health and safety.
The Retained EU Law bill is a needless own goal – diplomatically, economically and politically.
Labour and the Lib Dems have condemned the chancellor's plan to weaken regulations introduced after the financial crash.
The wealthy ghouls who fund the Tory party expect their quid pro quo – and this legislation will deliver it.
Just one in ten Brits wants to scrap EU regulations on environment, food and jobs after Brexit, poll reveals
27/02/2020
Only one in 10 voters wants the UK to abandon European regulations on the environment, labour market and food safety, according to a poll.
Leaked government documents 'confirm worst fears' about workers’ rights after Brexit, says Labour
26/10/2019
The Labour Party has hit out at leaked plans to diverge from EU workers' rights laws after Brexit.
Wanting to forge new trading relationships after Brexit and securing them are two very different things.
Is a big British version of GDPR likely to balance the demands of consumers, advertisers and media owners alike? We ask marketers what they think of the UK’s planned divergence.
Michael Heseltine: Fifty years ago, we joined the EU – today, I deplore the deception of Brexit
01/01/2023
I look back to 1973 as the post-war year when Britain accepted the loss of its empire and chose a new European destiny.
There are more EU era environmental laws to review after Brexit than had been previously known, the environment secretary has suggested.
The government’s plan to remove all remaining EU regulation could do even more damage to the UK’s weakened economy, say businesses.
Study by British Chambers of Commerce reveals flagship bill to purge EU laws is low priority for firms.
HOLYROOD has been urged to withhold consent to the UK Government's so-called Brexit freedoms bill. / The plans to scrap at least 2,400 laws carried over from the UK’s 47-year membership of the EU have proved controversial.
New York surges ahead of London as world’s top finance hub as Brexit undermines confidence
28/01/2020
Survey of top bankers and asset managers puts Wall Street in front of the City as favoured location for financial services.
NICOLA Sturgeon has told leaders in Brussels that she will use the powers of Holyrood to ensure Scotland keeps a close relationship with the EU.
Downing Street insists "we will not be lowering workers' rights" but does not rule out changes to the EU working time directive.
Post Brexit inflation is making UK "sick man of Europe" | Economics | The New Statesman [22 mins]
18/06/2022
A "perfect storm" of Brexit, covid and poor macroeconomic fiscal policies by the Conservatives has weakened Britain's economy and diminished the UK's standing in Europe, says economist Duncan Weldon.
Post-Brexit chemicals regime risks UK becoming ‘dumping ground’ for dangerous substances, campaigners warn
16/12/2021
A plan by Boris Johnson’s government to change the regulation of chemicals after Brexit risks making the UK a “dumping ground” for harmful substances, experts and campaigners have warned.
Laws that could disappear include ban on animal testing, workers’ rights and environmental protections.
New staff needed to cope with the government’s controversial retained EU laws bill will cost Whitehall dearly in a financial crisis.
Business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg’s new Brexit Freedoms Bill claims replacing or repealing all retained EU laws will bring unfettered growth. It’s dangerous and untrue.
Leading regulators have cautioned against a “race to the bottom” as the government looks to take an axe to regulatory red tape in the wake of Brexit.
In the House of Commons, MPs voted against amendments to delay the Retained EU Law Bill. This means that, as it stands, the Retained EU Law Bill will come into effect on December 31st, 2023, jeopardising the standards that keep us safe.
This opinion covers the impact assessment (IA) for the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill. ... The IA is not fit for purpose (red-rated); the quality of different analytical areas in the IA are all either weak or very weak, meaning that they provide inadequate support for decision-making. The IA was also red-rated on its assessment of the impacts on small and micro businesses.
The Tory leadership contender tried to get back on the front foot, saying he'd task a new Brexit department to review 2,400 laws and come up with initial recommendations for "each" of them in 100 days.
THE SCOTTISH Government has welcomed No 10's decision to ditch its planned Brexit “bonfire" of EU laws.
The BBC’s Analysis editor Ros Atkins looks at the controversy surrounding the government’s plan to scrap thousands of EU-era laws.
Save our Standards Declaration
19/01/2023
Sign our declaration today and put on record your opposition to the Retained EU Law Bill. The Bill currently going through parliament would allow government ministers to scrap, amend, or retain over 3,800 laws derived from EU legislation. / These standards and regulations are not simply red tape – they protect our environment, food quality, workers rights, and much more.
Safeguards over data, pay and conditions, GM foods, hedge funds and disposal of old vehicles should all be binned, Daniel Hannan says.
IoD and unions among groups writing to government, saying move would cause business chaos, harm rights and threaten environment.
Joyce Watson, Labour regional Senedd Member for Mid and West Wales, recently asked what Wales was doing to protect its ports at the Welsh Parliament.
Veteran Brexiteer Sir William Cash has accused the prime minister of only scrapping “trivial” EU laws after the government U-turned on its post-Brexit “bonfire” of regulations last week.
The MPs have joined a cross-party group calling on ministers to declare which Brussels-made rules will be removed from British statute books.
The MPs have joined a cross-party group calling on ministers to declare which Brussels-made rules will be removed from British statute books.
Plans to scrap all remaining EU-made laws in the UK by the end of the year have cleared the Commons amid criticism from a senior Brexiteer that the process is not democratic and “possibly incompetent”.
AN SNP minister has accused the UK Government of attempting to “row back 47 years of protections” after publishing plans to amend, repeal or replace all EU legislation.
So much for Brexit sovereignty
23/01/2023
It’s high time politicians got real about the EU and single market, extinguished the bonfire of lies and told the truth.
The Retained EU Law Bill would rock legal certainty in the UK and undermine the country’s status as an internationally competitive business environment, the Law Society said today as the bill enters its final stage in the House of Commons.
The speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsey Hoyle lost his temper with Kemi Badenoch when the secretary of state failed to inform the house of the government's U-turn on repealing retained EU laws.
Speech on the Retained EU Law bill by Alyn Smith : "If you will do this damn silly thing, don't do it in this damn silly way." [3 mins]
18/01/2023
"If you will do this damn silly thing, don't do it in this damn silly way. This bill will come back to haunt this gov't, in the same way so many other mistakes, harrumphed to the rafters in this House, have."
A new piece of UK Government legislation designed to make it easier to repeal and amend EU law poses a ‘significant risk’ to Scotland’s ability to uphold high safety and food standards, according to Food Standards Scotland.
A recent secret cross-party summit sought to discuss the failures, benefits and remaining opportunities of Brexit. I’d argue it’s high time we left Brexit behind. Not in the sense of rejecting a future relationship with the EU – we need that. But in the sense of those, especially in government, clambering to tell a positive economic story of our departure from the EU.
This is a classic example of a big, bold campaigning promise colliding with reality.
Ahead of another vote in the Tory leadership race, former chancellor Rishi Sunak pledges to get rid of those pesky EU regulations and unleash Britain’s potential. Where have we heard that before?
Regime change at No.10 could revive one vision of the British economy. But it remains totally unrealistic.
Jacob Rees-Mogg has published a list of nine ‘Brexit opportunities’. It’s both pitiful and dangerous.
In this film, senior FT writers and British businesspeople examine how Brexit hit the UK economy, the political conspiracy of silence, and why there has not yet been a convincing case for a 'Brexit dividend'.
Mark Carney and other financiers seem to think London can do business as usual without playing by the EU's rules. This is confidence bordering on complacency.
Voters were promised better-funded public services and stronger employment rights after Brexit – Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are now offering us the opposite, reports Adam Bienkov.
The last chance to save us from a no-deal Brexit has now slipped by. Here’s what we lost today
01/07/2020
The negotiations which will set our relationship with our closest neighbours for the next generation are being rushed in a reckless game of chicken.
The government plans to press ahead with legislation that would repeal swathes of EU law by default. Anyone who cares about legal certainty should object
The next generation will reject Brexit and the way it diminished our country – Europe will welcome us back
03/11/2021
Across the world, there is incomprehension at what we have done to ourselves.
In this new Federal Trust video, Brendan Donnelly argues that the so-called "Brexit Freedom Bill" is both pointless and dangerous. It seeks to repeal thousands of British laws simply because they have a European origin; and it opens the door to the abolition of rights and standards previously guaranteed by European legislation.
A future leader will need to confront Brexiters in the same way Blair faced down the hard left over clause 4.
The UK is using its post-Brexit role in global digital trade and data governance to promote economic growth and deregulation through free trade agreements and domestic data protection reforms.
Brexit was always going to be a recipe for the long-term decline of London as a financial centre Any ideas that suggested otherwise were ludicrous.
At risk are vital environmental and wildlife protections my colleagues and I worked tirelessly to establish in the European Parliament.
THE Tories are risking a repeat of “the catastrophe of the financial crash in 2008” by cutting back on the safeguards placed on banking in its wake, the SNP have warned.
Ministers have scrapped their promise for a post-Brexit ‘bonfire’ of EU-era laws by the end of this year.
Tory leadership: Rishi Sunak woos Brexit supporters with vow to fast-track ripping up of EU rules
17/07/2022
New polling finds former chancellor is the overwhelming choice of voters in seats Conservatives must retain to keep a grip on power.
Tory MPs urge government to scrap EU pesticide regulations and allow all US chemicals on food
14/06/2022
Conservative MPs have urged the government to use its Brexit freedoms to ditch the EU’s cautious approach to making sure pesticides are safe for human consumption.
Tory peer urges Boris Johnson to scrap EU worker and environmental protections now Brexit is done
07/01/2021
A Tory peer recently ennobled by Boris Johnson has urged the prime minister to remove EU consumer and worker protections now that Brexit has happened.
EU restricts use of eight chemicals, with 16 more in pipeline; UK has two under consideration.
The use of banned flame retardants is widespread, yet our prime minister is hostile towards public protections.
One of the supposed ‘benefits’ of Brexit was the ‘bonfire of Brussels red-tape‘ which was promised by libertarian Brexiteers. Two weeks into the administration of Liz Truss, the new government announced that they were planning to revoke 570 environmental laws which, in order to continue environmental protections, were rolled over from EU law after Brexit.
We have reached a watershed moment in the long Brexit saga. The government’s U-turn this week on the Great Repeal Bill has laid bare the great elephant-sized conundrum that has always been at the heart of Brexit: identifying any significant EU laws that were both holding Britain back and can be ditched without damaging our own economy.
The UK has ditched plans for a Brexit "bonfire" of retained EU law, with Rishi Sunak being accused of breaking his promises by a former Cabinet minister.
Analysis finds changes such as removal of blanket ban on hormone-disrupting chemicals. / The UK has been accused of “silently eroding” key environmental and human health protections in the Brexit-inspired rush to convert thousands of pages of European Union pesticide policy into British law.
UK defends new post-Brexit finance reforms
09/12/2022
Britain on Friday launched a post-Brexit plan to relax curbs on its powerhouse City sector introduced after the 2008 financial crisis, denying the reforms will bring about new instability.
Only several hundred laws will now subject to Retained EU Law Bill’s 2023 sunset clause.
Britain’s bonfire of European Union laws has been reduced to embers.
Campaigners say revoking of post-Brexit protections amounts to legislative vandalism. / Hundreds of Britain’s environmental laws covering water quality, sewage pollution, clean air, habitat protections and the use of pesticides are lined up for removal from UK law under a government bill.
ANGUS Robertson has urged the UK Government to push back their "bonfire" of Brexit laws until 2029.
Environment secretary George Eustice wants to tear up a key piece of European law that environmentalists say protects cherished habitats in the UK.
Deleting national emissions ceiling regulations as part of scrapping EU laws ‘a clear example of deregulation’. / The government is ignoring its post-Brexit green watchdog over the removal of air quality regulations, in a move that has been described by experts as “a clear example of deregulation”.
The UK government is looking to scrap the cap on banker bonuses, as it eyes a further break with legacy EU rules, The Independent reported.
Trade bill vote rejects Lords amendment giving MPs greater scrutiny of trade deals.
The government has set out a plan to overhaul EU laws copied over after Brexit - a move it says will cut unnecessary "red tape" for businesses.
Charles Michel says British ‘face a dilemma’ over whether to lower regulatory standards.
Britain is easing banking rules brought in after the 2008 global financial crisis in a bid to attract investment and secure London’s status as Europe’s leading finance center.
The government is to loosen EU-derived laws on chemicals in a move experts say will increase the likelihood of toxic substances entering the environment.
UK-EU regulatory divergence tracker
18/10/2021
It forms the first of a series of trackers which will keep tabs on the latest developments in the regulatory divergence landscape.
This is the fourth edition of the tracker, covering changes which have taken place since March 2022.
This is the second edition of the tracker, covering changes which took place predominantly between September-December 2021.
This is the third edition of the UK in a Changing Europe’s UK-EU regulatory divergence tracker, covering 27 cases of divergence since December 2021.
Health claims, novel foods, labelling, GMOs… the recently introduced Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill could have far reaching implications for the food and nutrition industries in the UK.
The process of ‘sunsetting’ laws envisioned under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill – introduced into the UK Parliament in autumn 2022 – has led to fears of significant legal uncertainty.
The E Foundation worked with UK thinktank on Brexit and is alleged to favour weakening EU food regulations.
His admission that “Brexit has failed” shows once again that for Nigel Farage and the populist right, shifting the blame is second nature
A major feature of the 2016 Leave campaign was a refusal to define what, precisely, Brexit would mean.
Report shared with POLITICO urges UK to keep pace with Brussels. / Britain must not "rip up" protections for workers as a government review considers doing away with EU laws carried over post Brexit, according to a new report.
While looking for Brexit opportunities: Jacob Rees-Mogg profits directly from Chinese pharma and Russian gas investments
21/02/2022
The government’s new minister for Brexit opportunities, Jacob Rees-Mogg, is directly profiting from significant investments in a pharmaceutical company in China as well as a Russian gas company, according to reports.
The reality that Leavers are facing is that the promised benefits of Brexit are hard to achieve while the costs are hard to avoid.
They want to tear up our green regulations so they can plunder and pollute the environment for profit.
Women to be worst hit by Tory bonfire of EU employment rights after Brexit, report claims
17/01/2023
Research says that of the 8.6 million workers most affected by scrapping of EU protections, around six million will be women.
More uncertainty lies ahead for employers and employees ahead of a crucial Brexit deadline, writes KAREN HARVIE.
Could sunset on EU laws see azodicarbonimide appear in ultra-processed baked products, while other additives disappear but only from ingredients lists?
This Brexit built on lies can't be undone, but the new prime minister has a chance to minimise the damage.
Ipsos MORI survey shared with HuffPost UK raises questions for Boris Johnson's negotiating strategy as hopes of a deal begin to fade.
The government’s “Brexit freedoms bill” could see all legal protections from pesticides abolished, wildlife campaigners have warned, putting insects, wildlife and human health in danger.
A bill to remove EU-derived laws that include 570 environmental regulations will cause serious ecological harm, charities and MPs have warned.
British firms are yet to see any upside from Brexit, according to one of the UK’s top executives, who urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to improve the trade agreement with the European Union to boost growth.
‘Playing with fire:’ Scrapping rules to keep rivers clean after Brexit stirs up Tory rebellion
01/03/2023
Ministers have refused to rule out scrapping EU regulations that protect swimmers and wildlife.
‘Recklessly irresponsible’ Brexit rush to axe EU laws is putting safety standards at risk, watchdogs warn
24/11/2022
Trading standards officers fear ‘recklessly irresponsible’ legislation poses danger to public.
‘Singapore on steroids’: Sir Martin Sorrell lays out low-tax, low-regulation vision for Brexit Britain
13/11/2019
Britain should become a “Singapore on steroids” economy with low taxes, low regulation and a renewed focus on trade with America after Brexit, according to Sir Martin Sorrell.
‘Take back control’? With this Pacific trade deal, Brexit Britain has just signed it away
31/03/2023
Goodbye, food standards. Hello, corporate lobbyists. Why are we doing this, for no real economic benefit?
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