All three of the MPs covering the Harrogate district have remained silent about tonight’s vote on the government’s Internal Market Bill.
The Stray Ferret contacted Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams for their views on the bill, but has yet to receive a response.
MPs are set to vote on the legislation at its second reading tonight.
The bill seeks to override some aspects of the UK’s withdrawal agreement with the European Union.
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Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, has said it would break international law in a “specific and limited way”.
Some Conservative MPs are expected to vote against the bill or abstain.
Patrick Milne, who lives in Harrogate, has sent the Stray Ferret a copy of an email he has written to Mr Jones asking him to confirm that he would uphold the rule of law.
The email says:
“Could you please confirm that as lawfully elected Parliamentary representative for Harrogate and Knaresborough, you will at all times support and defend the rule of law, domestic and international?
“Could you also please confirm that you will never, under any circumstances, support or vote in favour of any action which breaks, or proposes to break the law, even in a ‘very specific and limited way’?”
Five former Prime Ministers have spoken out against the government’s plan. David Cameron said today that breaking an international treaty should be a “final resort”.
Sir John Major, Theresa May, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have also criticised the government.
What is the Internal Market Bill?
After the UK left the EU on January 31 it signed a withdrawal agreement.
The agreement included a Northern Ireland Protocol, which was designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland.
The Internal Market Bill attempts to override parts of the agreement and would allow the UK to modify or reinterpret state aid rules if the two sides do not strike a future trade deal.
