Shutdown?

Will Parliament shutdown? This was mooted by the Times and could have wide-ranging scrutiny implications. Northern Ireland Protocol continues to be a key issue ignored by the UK Government. Have you signed up to Equally Ours UKSPF principles yet? All of this and more in our latest bulletin. 

In Politics

Parliament shutdown?

The Times is reporting this week that Parliament could shut down from now to the end of summer recess in an effort to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. This shut down would mean that there is no scrutiny of the Government during the negotiation of the future relationship.

 A shut down of Parliament would mean that select committees can’t sit, Ministers will not be hauled in front of MPs in the Commons and key Brexit legislation would once again be delayed.

This would mean the Environment Bill, that has just received its second reading, would stall in its progress. The Immigration Bill was only brought to Parliament on Thursday and could now be delayed until autumn with a shut-down. Therefore, the establishment of a new immigration system would have to happen in an even shorter time span.

This would also leave the question of what will the UK Government do in July when the deadline for extending the transition period arrives? So far the UK Government has said it will not request an extension but if Parliament is shut down this may necessitate an extension because of the delay to implementing post-Brexit arrangements across a number of areas, including, immigration, agriculture, fisheries and the environment. 

While the potential shutdown would be for the right reasons to help prevent the spread of a virus, it leaves serious questions about scrutiny and proper procedure during this very important negotiation period. Note that Parliament has a very limited, if not non-existent role in the negotiations anyway but a shut-down certainly would make matters worse.  

In Policy

Northern Ireland Protocol

The new Withdrawal Agreement that Boris Johnson negotiated was different from the one Theresa May negotiated because it put a border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland down the Irish sea. The Withdrawal Agreement set out the rules for what happens to Northern Ireland, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol. Since the Withdrawal Agreement Bill passed and became law the protocol has not received the attention it deserves. 

The UK Government has yet to set out how it intends to actually implement the protocol. This has created large amounts of uncertainty for people and organisations in Northern Ireland. One issue of uncertainty is what customs checks will be on goods moving between NI and GB. Johnson has repeatedly said that there will be no checks, however, experts disagree.

If goods move from GB to NI that are then moving from NI to the Republic of Ireland then the goods are subject to EU tariffs. This is because they have entered the EU single market. The EU and the UK have agreed that the UK has to collect EU tariffs on goods when they move from GB to NI.

Business in Northern Ireland are trying to prepare for this scenario but the UK Government, who are the ones to decide, have not yet released details as to how all this will be collected/administered. Furthermore, as Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing NI, highlighted in an event at the Institute for Government this week (watch here) business is willing to engage but the UK Government will not and is not engaging with business in NI. Which leads to great concern that the UK Government has to implement a controversial and difficult policy but is not releasing detailed plans nor engaging with organisations (business or civil society) on the ground. 

In Policy

“Serious divergences”

This is the end of the first week of negotiations between the UK and the EU’s future relationship. Judging by the reports from Michel Barnier, Johnson has not quite built a bridge between the EU and UK (despite his love of them). Unsurprisingly, a level playing field has not been agreed and crucially Johnson has refused to formally commit to the European Convention on Human Rights.

The UK does not have to abandon its commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights to ensure Brexit has happened. This is a separate entity to European Union membership. Adam Wagner has a detailed Twitter thread about the European Court of Human Rights and the convention. Furthermore, there is a great plain-English explanation about what the convention means for you here.

What this lack of commitment does signal domestically though is the Conservative’s intentions to ‘update’ the Human Rights Act (which brought the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic law) and make changes to judicial review. 

In Events

Human Rights, Brexit and Devolution

  • When: Wednesday 25th March

  • Where: Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh City Centre, 80 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1TH

As the UK establishes new post-Brexit agreements and law, how can we best protect and continue to progress human rights across the 4 UK regions? Join us for this conference packed with in-depth insights focusing on the different opportunities and challenges around human rights for the UK as a whole and within each part of the UK post-Brexit, with space for in-depth discussion and networking with other organisations from the 4 regions

Full programme and registration is available here.  

Recommended Reading & Actions

  • Equally Ours have published their shared principles for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and are encouraging organisations to sign up. You can view them and sign up here.
    Over the last year, we have been working with colleagues across the UK to develop a set of shared principles which we all agree should underpin the UKSPF. It is essential that equality, social inclusion and non-discrimination are integral to any new funding system.
    View the shared principles here and sign up now.

  • Home Office announces £8 million to help vulnerable people apply to the EU Settlement Scheme- more information available here

  • The Trade Justice Movement’s priorities for the EU-UK future relationship is available here

  • JCWI has worked with MP Kate Green to table a motion which calls on the Government to grant automatic settled status to all EU nationals and their family members: https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/54603/eu-settlement-scheme. JCWI are asking people to write to their MP using our lobbying tool to ask them to add their name to the motion- their lobbying tool is available here. Retweet their call to action here