Top Tories urge Theresa May to end supremacy of European Court of Justice
2 min read
Theresa May is under pressure to end the European Court of Justices’s jurisdiction over the UK before agreeing to the Brexit ‘divorce bill’.
Senior Conservative figures have warned that the supremacy of UK law must be central to Brexit negotiations or the government risks betraying Leave voters.
According to the Sunday Telegraph former Court of Appeal judge Sir Richard Aikens told the Prime Minister that a proposed “compromise” on oversight by the ECJ was “dangerous”.
Sir Richard added that it would be “tantamount to reversing the result of the 2016 referendum”.
In an article for the same paper, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith warned that such a stance could lead to European judges overseeing trade disputes.
Meanwhile, the Brexit group Leave means Leave, which includes ex-cabinet ministers, economists and business leaders has written to Mrs May urging her to withhold agreement on the Brexit financial settlement before certain demands are met.
In a letter signed by influential Tory figures Owen Paterson, John Redwood, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Labour MP Graham Stringer, and entrepreneurs such as Luke Johnson, Tim Martin and Peter Hargreaves, they say the supremacy of ECJ rulings over British courts should end, as should freedom of movement.
The letter, seen by the Sun, states "If EU negotiators agree to these criteria during negotiations in December, then Britain should make a reasonable, realistic and not extortionate goodwill payment".
The so called Brexit ‘divorce bill’ has been a major sticking point during negotiations, but recent reports had suggested that a figure between £40-50bn could break the deadlock.
The Prime Minister is to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier tomorrow before the crucial Brexit summit on 14 December.
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