A back down by Boris on his “break international law Bill” ?

A back down by Boris on his “break international law Bill” ?

The above Tweet from the Times suggests that the Prime Minister is thinking of compromising over his controversial Brexit move which would ignore a Treaty obligation which is in breach of international law.

This would seem entirely logical because the chances are that the bill will have a rough time in the House of Lords. There is the Salisbury convention that broadly states that the Upper House should not vote down measures that were in the manifesto of the wining party at the general election.

Although there was government briefing that the Lords would have to back it there is a doubt over the force of this because the bill OVERRIDES what was in the Tory manifesto on Brexit. You could see their lordships making this point and highlighting that what Johnson/Cummings are proposing is in breach of treaty obligations.

Although the bill got through its initial stages in the Commons last night the Lords were always going to present a problem.

You can see why Downing Street might now be thinking that it is better politically to find a compromise

Mike Smithson

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