The fullest defence yet of #InternalMarketBill (contingent powers only; Brandon Lewis wrong) was given by Lord Keen at the start of today's @LordsEUCom Justice meeting. Video here, parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/e2… transcript in a few days. A court commitment stopped me attending, sadly.
He took the same line as at today's PNQ hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2020-09-…, but had more time to set it out. In short #IMBill gives UK powers that may be needed to respond to a fundamental breach by EU of the WA or to exercise our rights under Art 16 of the NI Protocol or Art 62 VCLT.
Those conditions are not specified in the Bill (which is far broader than Keen's explanation could justify), and there was no evidence that HMG's fears are realistic or that this is a wise negotiating strategy. But intellectually, an improvement on previous defences (a low bar).
Lord Keen went on to give lucid (if sometimes depressing) answers to the Sub-Cttee's questions on the prospects for accession to Lugano and the prospects for civil and family law coordination with EU in 2021 and beyond.
Not just broader, indeed, but mismatched to the claimed threat. The provisions in cll 42-45 relate to NI-GB trade and to state aids: nothing to do with food standards, blockades etc. Though there is a Finance Bill yet to come ...
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