A TORY MP has sparked a furious backlash after claiming the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement should be scrapped – despite his party camapaiging on that deal last year.
The Internal Market Bill, which has its second reading in the Commons today, will allow ministers to override provisions in last year's Brexit Withdrawal Agreement relating to Northern Ireland. The Tories have admitted this would break international law in a “very specific and limited way”.
Overriding the Withdrawal Agreement means a significant shake up of state aid and spending rules, and more power being handed to London over regulations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
READ MORE: Brexit: Joanna Cherry praises Ed Miliband for making PM 'look a fool'
Bernard Jenkin, who chairs the House of Commons Liaison Committee, said the Withdrawal Agreement was "a mistake".
He added: “Much has been said about the potential to lose the respect of the international community but what will other nations think if this great and sovereign nation cannot bring itself to accept we made a mistake ratifying this agreement?
“Some of us warned about it at the time. The UK will gain respect if we extricate ourselves from the worst aspects of this agreement that have the capacity to impose laws upon our country with even less democratic legitimacy than under our previous membership of the EU.”
Twitter users from across the political spectrum hit out Jenkin's statement.
Here are the best responses:
1.
And now Bernard Jenkin, one of the strongest advocates for it, says now *the UK* made a mistake voting for it. https://t.co/vngVUl6xb6
— Mike Holden (@MikeHolden42) September 14, 2020
2.
i just can't pic.twitter.com/VoJFmKrGsm
— Henry Mance (@henrymance) September 14, 2020
3.
Bernard Jenkin, Tory MP for Harwich & North Essex, commendably thorough in his inconsistency.#InternalMarketBill https://t.co/ANDZT6vOsH
— Banff & Macduff SNP (@banffmacduffsnp) September 14, 2020
4.
It’s a ballsy statement, I’ll give him that. Calling yourself out in public as either a liar, or an idiot 🤷🏻♂️@bernardjenkin https://t.co/Xc3EL2OFTI
— Dara de Brún (@DaraDeBrun) September 14, 2020
5.
Bernard Jenkin saying we should have the #InternalMarketBill because "we" made a mistake signing it. 🤦♀️
— Three Women 🎗️🕯️🇪🇺🏴🎭📚 (@ThreeWomen_) September 14, 2020
6.
Liar. This will not en dwell for the Tories.
— Richard Bentall #FBPE #3.5% Project We Told You So (@RichardBentall) September 14, 2020
7.
MP @bernardjenkin says they made a mistake ratifying the WA & should now rectify it. The general election was fought on this WA, shall we rerun that? What if we made a mistake voting to leave in the first place? Can the country change its mind too? #InternalMarketBill #brexit
— Amanda Devaure-Croft (Alert Level 4) (@acroft01) September 14, 2020
8.
Ed Miliband was good. Slammed Boris on the basic issues of moral authority and the loss of the UKs standing over the IM Bill. Think he even had Bernard Jenkin thinking twice over the issue of the EU acting in good faith through the negotiations.
— Rory MacGregor Kirkwood (@rorymkirkwood) September 14, 2020
9.
What a disingenuous disgrace of an MP @bernardjenkin is. YOU voted for it - just how stupid are you
— Michael Crowther (@Michael63914438) September 14, 2020
Jenkins said last week that the Internal Market Bill will see the UK gain "international respect", despite breaking the law.
He said: "We are right to legislate to reject the Withdrawal Agreement's worst excesses and will gain international respect for doing so."
READ MORE: Tory MP Bernard Jenkin blasted for 'delusional' claim about UK's Brexit deal
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