Britain acknowledges international law would be broken in a 'specific and limited way' under the bill that Boris Johnson says is a safety net, while critics warn could it could lead to the breakup of the UK.
"Very concerned about announcements from the British Government on its intentions to breach the Withdrawal Agreement," Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission said on Twitter.
The bill, if approved, would give ministers the power to ignore parts of the protocol by modifying the form of export declarations and other exit procedures.Bill risks UK breakup, critics sayBritain left the EU in January but has remained part of its single economic market, largely free of trade barriers, under a status quo agreement that expires in December.
The British pound, which tends to rise with the perceived likelihood of a negotiated trade deal with the EU, was down around 0.4 per cent after details of the bill emerged. Senior members of Mr Johnson's Conservative Party have already voiced anger that Britain might consider such a move.
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