Government 'Retreating' Over Post-Brexit Plans To Ditch EU Laws This Year

The government has begun to retreat from post-Brexit plans to ditch thousands of EU laws by the end of the year, a report claims.

- LIAM JAMES

If passed, the Retained EU Law Bill would see more than 4,000 EU laws kept on the UK statute book after the UK’s departure to ensure continuity automatically scrapped at the end of this year, unless ministers approved exceptions. Legal experts, including former government advisers, have previously warned the rush was “dangerous” because it would be impossible for MPs and relevant industries to scrutinise each change.

Now though, according to The Observer, the government has dropped plans to hold the report stage of the bill in the Lords in the coming weeks with no new dates set.

The delay is aimed at preventing a row in the run-up to the local elections on 4 May and would allow time to draw up a list of prospective concessions to rebels, the newspaper claims.