Fifth ex-PM speaks out against post-Brexit bill

David Cameron has become the fifth former prime minister to criticise a new bill attempting to override the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

The Internal Market Bill will come before MPs later, with the government calling it an “insurance policy”.

Mr Cameron said he had “misgivings” over it and breaking an international treaty should be the “final resort”.

Former Tory PMs Theresa May and Sir John Major, and Labour’s Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have condemned the plan.

Earlier, Policing Minister Kit Malthouse called it a “practical” step.

He echoed comments made by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland on Sunday, who said the bill was there just in case the UK and EU do not agree a post-Brexit trade deal.

Boris Johnson was expected to speak to reporters at an event later, but No 10 confirmed it had been cancelled due to urgent parliamentary business.

The government is expected to win a vote in the Commons later on the next stage of the bill – which should take place around 22:00 BST (21:00 GMT) – but it is also expected to face more difficulties in later stages, especially when the legislation heads for debate in the Lords.

Former Attorney General Geoffrey Cox has said he will vote against it, accusing Mr Johnson of doing “unconscionable” damage to Britain’s international reputation.

A senior government source told the BBC “all options are on the table” in terms of possible action against Tory MPs who do not support the bill.

The PM’s special envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Tory MP Rehman Chishti, has resigned over the proposed law, saying: “I have always acted in a manner which respects the rule of law… [and] voting for this bill as it currently stands would be contrary to the values I hold dearest.”

Labour’s shadow business secretary, Ed Miliband, also called the proposed law “legislative hooliganism”.

The UK left the EU on 31 January, having negotiated and signed the withdrawal agreement with the bloc.

The two sides are now in the closing weeks of negotiations for a post-Brexit trade deal before the transition period ends on 31 December – with informal talks taking place in Brussels this week.

A key part of the withdrawal agreement – which is now an international treaty – was the Northern Ireland Protocol, designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland.

The Internal Market Bill proposed by the government would override that part of that agreement when it came to goods and would allow the UK to modify or re-interpret “state aid” rules on subsidies for firms in Northern Ireland, in the event of the two sides not agreeing a future trade deal.

Last week, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said the bill would “break international law” in a “specific and limited way”, leading to swathes of criticism from all sides of the political spectrum.