Ministers plan eight new laws to deliver Brexit
2 min read
The Government has unveiled plans for eight new laws to try to “get Brexit right” as Britain quits the European Union.
Alongside the much-trailed Great Repeal Bill - which will transpose EU laws into the UK statute book - bills on a range of specific policy areas were featured in today's Queen’s Speech.
An Immigration Bill will give “control of the number of people coming here from Europe” while a Trade Bill will outline plans to “cement the UK’s status as a leading trading nation”.
There will be a Customs Bill to hand Britain the “flexibility to accommodate future trade agreements with the EU and others” and bill to return control of UK fisheries to Westminster.
An Agriculture Bill to support farmers and a bill establishing a nuclear regulatory regime once the UK quits Euratom are also on the list.
And an International Sanctions Bill will establish a framework for implementing non-UN sanctions and “enable continued compliance with international law”.
Unveiling the Queen’s Speech today, Prime Minister Theresa May said: “We need to get Brexit right.”
She added: “While this will be a government that consults and listens, we are clear that we are going to see Brexit through, working with parliament, business, the devolved administrations and others to ensure s smooth and orderly withdrawal.”
And she said: “It is about delivering a Brexit deal that works for all parts of the UK while building a stronger, fairer country by strengthening our economy, tackling injustice and promoting opportunity and aspiration.”
Brexit negotiations with the European Union began this week as Brexit Secretary David Davis and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier went toe to toe in Brussels.
Labour promised to deliver Brexit during the general election campaign, but today made clear it could seek to scupper the Government on its entire legislative agenda.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said the Tories were in too much of a mess to govern after Mrs May lost her majority at the general election.
“I think there is such disarray now, in the interest of the country, they should stand down and give Labour the opportunity of forming a minority government," he told Radio 4's Today programme.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
