UK abandons pledge for Brexit 'bonfire' of EU law by end of 2023
The UK has ditched plans for a Brexit "bonfire" of retained EU law, with Rishi Sunak being accused of breaking his promises by a former Cabinet minister.
Just 2,000 pieces of EU-era legislation will be scrapped rather than the 4,000 that had been planned, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has confirmed.
Rishi Suanak and Liz Truss, the UK's shortest serving prime minister, had both campaigned to replace Boris Johnson on the promise of a "red tape bonfire" that would “unleash the full potential of Britain post-Brexit".
Jacob Rees-Mogg attacked the PM, saying the watered down pledge "breaks the prime minister‘s clear promise to review or appeal all EU laws in his first hundred days".
“Instead, he has decided to keep nearly 90% of retained EU law," he said, “this is an admission of administrative failure, an inability of Whitehall to do the necessary work and an incapability of ministers to push this through their own departments.
“Regrettably, ‘the blob’ has triumphed and the Prime Minister has abandoned his promise.”
During his campaign Mr Sunak said: "We need to capitalise on these opportunities by ditching the mass of unnecessary regulations and low-growth mentality we’ve inherited from the EU.
“I have a plan, if elected prime minister, to have scrapped or reformed, by the time of the next election, all the EU law, red tape, and bureaucracy still on our statute book that is holding back our economy.
“As prime minister, I would go further and faster in using the freedoms Brexit has given us to cut the mass of EU regulations and bureaucracy holding back our growth.
“If we do this, we can get our economy growing quickly again and become the most prosperous country in Europe.”
But Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch believes the watered down plans will "still fully take back control of our laws" and "end the supremacy" of retained EU law by the end of this year.
In a written statement to MPs on the Retained EU Law Bill, she said: “Today the government is tabling an amendment for Lords Report, which will replace the current sunset (clause) in the Bill with a list of the retained EU laws that we intend to revoke under the Bill at the end of 2023.
“We will still fully take back control of our laws and end the supremacy and special status of retained EU law by the end of 2023.”
There are major concerns about one particular EU-era law being scrapped; the Working Time Directive, which provides workplace protections such as rest breaks, limits on excessive hours, and paid holidays.
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Trade Union Congress General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “The Conservatives seem intent on undermining our hard-won workers’ rights right before our eyes.
“People are already working all hours to make ends meet.
“Paid holiday and safety measures like rest breaks and limits on excessive hours are all fundamental protections – not a nice-to-have.
“This is a recipe for low-paid, burnt-out Britain. Yet this Conservative government was elected on a promise to make this country the best place in the world to work.
“It’s time for the government to dump the reckless Retained EU Law Bill, which threatens our essential workplace rights.
“No holiday pay, long gruelling shifts in unsafe workplaces, and an end to rest breaks are the last thing anybody needs.”