US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rallied behind Boris Johnson today over his plan to potentially break international law over Brexit.
Donald Trump‘s senior lieutenant said he trusted the PM and his administration to ‘get it right’ when asked about his proposals to override the Withdrawal Agreement with the UK Internal Market Bill.
The move, due to face its next major hurdle on Tuesday, this afternoon prompted the resignation of Lord Keen, the Advocate General for Scotland, amid reports he was unhappy about the legislation.
Ministers admitted last week the PM’s proposals would break international law, sparking a revolt by Conservative backbenchers.
Meeting Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in Washington today, Mr Pompeo was asked whether the US still trusted Britain.
‘Yes we trust the United Kingdom. I am confident they will get it right,’ he told a press conference.
Meeting Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in Washington today, Mr Pompeo was asked whether the US still trusted Britain
Donald Trump’s senior lieutenant said he trusted the PM and his administration to ‘get it right’ when asked about his proposals to override the Withdrawal Agreement with the UK Internal Market Bill
‘We have made clear our view of the importance of the Good Friday Agreement, we know the complexity of the situation, we have done what we can to provide assistance where we can.
‘At the end this will be a set of decisions with respect to this that the United Kingdom makes and I have great confidence they will get this right in a way that treats everyone fairly and gets a good outcome for what it was the people of the United Kingdom voted for now several years back.’
The Prime Minister met with Conservative backbench rebels in his House of Commons office this afternoon.
The BBC said a deal has now been reached between the Government and the rebels so that Parliament gets a say on any move by the PM to try to move away from what was agreed in the accord struck with the EU last year.
However, The Telegraph said while progress had been made at the showdown no formal compromise had yet been agreed but both sides are optimistic a deal can be done.
The rebels, led by Justice Select Committee chairman Sir Bob Neill, want Parliament to have the ability to veto any move by Mr Johnson to override the divorce deal – a so-called ‘parliamentary lock’.
It is not yet clear what the Government may have proposed to the rebels but Downing Street confirmed Mr Johnson has spoken to Sir Bob and ‘conversations with MPs will continue’.
It came as Ursula von der Leyen warned hopes of the EU and UK agreeing a trade deal are fading with every passing day as tensions remain high over Mr Johnson’s Brexit plans.
The President of the European Commission hit out and said the accord struck last year ‘cannot be unilaterally changed, disregarded or dis-applied’.
The EU has given Mr Johnson until the end of the month to withdraw his plans, with Brussels warning that a failure to do so risks the total collapse of trade talks.
Lord Keen of Elie, the Advocate General for Scotland, has reportedly offered his resignation to the Prime Minister over the Government’s Brexit plans
Lord Keen of Elie, is said to have offered to quit because he was deeply unhappy with Mr Johnson’s proposals to tear up parts of the Brexit divorce deal which ministers have said will break international law.
The resignation offer from the peer, who served as the UK Government‘s law officer for Scotland, was made to the Prime Minister this morning.
It was not immediately accepted amid speculation that ministers were trying to persuade him to stay in his post.
But a Downing Street spokesman said in a statement issued this evening: ‘Lord Keen has resigned as Advocate General for Scotland. The Prime Minister thanks him for his service.’
Mr Raab has told US congressional leaders that the EU’s ‘politicisation’ of the Northern Ireland issue in trade talks with the UK is threatening the Good Friday Agreement.
Mr Raab, who is in Washington for talks with senior figures, said he had had ‘very positive discussions’ with both Republicans and Democrats.
The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has warned Congress will never pass a free trade agreement with the UK if legislation to override the Brexit divorce settlement was to ‘imperil’ the peace process.
However, Mr Raab – who will meet Ms Pelosi later on Wednesday – said he had made clear the UK’s ‘absolute’ commitment to the Good Friday Agreement.
‘It is a great opportunity to be clear that the threat to the Good Friday Agreement as it is reflected in the Northern Ireland protocol comes from the EU’s politicisation of the issue, and to be clear on how that has happened and why that has happened,’ he said following talks with US secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
‘The UK action here is defensive in relation to what the EU is doing, it is precautionary, we haven’t done any of this yet, and it is proportionate.
‘What we cannot have is the EU seeking to erect a regulatory border down the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and Britain.’