THE SNP have hit out as Douglas Ross has been "posted missing" during No-Deal Brexit chaos.
It emerged last night that Boris Johnson is planning to rip up the agreement he signed with the EU, increasing the risk of no deal.
Sections of the internal market bill — due to be published on Wednesday — are expected to “eliminate the legal force of parts of the withdrawal agreement” in areas including state aid and Northern Ireland customs, according to a report.
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Ross previously claimed: "I will back the Prime Minister where I think it is right for Scotland but if I think he has got something wrong, or where I think the government has got something wrong, I'll stand up and say that."
But the Scottish Tory leader has stayed silent over the latest Brexit plans.
Kirsten Oswald, the SNP's Deputy Westminster Leader, said Scottish Tory MPs had "completely failed" to stand up for Scotland.
She said: "Douglas Ross once claimed he would 'stand up' to Boris Johnson but instead he's been posted missing - and has rubber-stamped the Prime Minister's disastrous extreme Brexit plans at every Westminster vote.
"The Tory Government is threatening to impose the hardest of Brexits against Scotland's will – with the UK heading towards a devastating very bad deal or no deal outcome, either of which would deal a hammer blow to Scotland in the middle of a pandemic.
"If the feeble Scottish Tories won't stand up for Scotland against Boris Johnson's extreme Brexit plans, it will prove yet again that they are incapable of acting in Scotland's interests and that Douglas Ross is nothing but the Prime Minister's loyal poodle.
"Scotland has been completely ignored by Westminster throughout the Brexit process. It is clearer than ever that the only way to protect Scotland's economy and our place in Europe is to become an independent country."
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The UK Government's move would “clearly and consciously” undermine the agreement on Northern Ireland that Johnson signed last October to avoid a return to a hard border in the region, one person with knowledge of the plans told the FT.
Last week, the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier warned that “a precise implementation of the withdrawal agreement” was vital for the success of trade talks and a key issue of trust between the two parties.
“It is a very blunt instrument,” one of those familiar with the matter told the paper. “The bill will explicitly say the government reserves the right to set its own regime, directly setting up UK law in opposition with obligations under the withdrawal agreement, and in full cognisance that this will breach international law.”
READ MORE: Scottish independence: Calls ramped up over fears of No-Deal Brexit
The UK internal market bill, outlined in a 100-page white paper in July, is designed to secure the “seamless functioning” of trade between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland after the UK leaves the EU’s single market and customs union at the end of this year.
But some clauses in the bill will effectively override parts of the so-called Northern Ireland protocol, which was signed alongside the withdrawal agreement in October and has enraged prominent Brexit-supporting MPs who see it as a threat to British sovereignty.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said discussions were continuing with the EU to resolve the outstanding issues relating to the Northern Ireland protocol, intended to ensure there is no return of a hard border with the Republic once the transition is over.
He said the legislative changes were a necessary “safety net” in the event that they were unable to come to an agreement.
“As a responsible Government, we cannot allow the peace process or the UK’s internal market to inadvertently be compromised by unintended consequences of the protocol,” the spokesman said.
“So we are taking limited and reasonable steps to clarify specific elements of the Northern Ireland protocol in domestic law to remove any ambiguity and to ensure the Government is always able to deliver on its commitments to the people of Northern Ireland.”
The spokesperson added: “As a responsible government, we are considering fall-back options in the event this is not achieved to ensure the communities of Northern Ireland are protected.”
Under the withdrawal agreement, the UK must notify Brussels of any state aid decisions that would affect Northern Ireland’s goods market, and compel businesses in the province to file customs paperwork when sending goods into the rest of the UK.
But clauses in the internal market and finance bills will force the UK courts to follow the new UK law rather than the EU deal, diluting the ability of the protocol to intrude on UK state aid policy.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned there could be no backtracking by the UK on its previous commitments if it wanted to reach a free trade agreement.
“I trust the British Government to implement the Withdrawal Agreement, an obligation under international law and prerequisite for any future partnership,” she said.
“[The] protocol on Ireland-Northern Ireland is essential to protect peace and stability on the island and integrity of the single market.”
I trust the British government to implement the Withdrawal Agreement, an obligation under international law & prerequisite for any future partnership. Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland is essential to protect peace and stability on the island & integrity of the single market.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 7, 2020
Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney warned that abandoning the agreement would be “a very unwise way to proceed”.
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