Britain seeks the understanding of the United States on the right to breach of the "Brexit" agreement
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab visited the United States this week to meet with American politicians. US media reported that Raab tried to downplay the US concerns caused by the British Internal Market Act, calling the bill "appropriate" and "preventive."
Raab attended a press conference with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the 16th. The Associated Press reported on the 17th that during his stay in the United States, Raab met with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other politicians to explain the "Internal Market Act" and try to avoid US opposition.
The "Internal Market Bill" passed the first reading of the House of Commons of the British Parliament this week. The British government announced the bill on the 9th, in which the provisions concerning the Northern Ireland region of the United Kingdom were considered to override the "Brexit" agreement, which caused controversy.
According to the "Internal Market Act", if its terms are inconsistent with the withdrawal agreement in the "Brexit" agreement or the content of special arrangements related to Northern Ireland, the terms of the Act shall prevail. The European Union believes that the British side is trying to rewrite the "Brexit" agreement with domestic legislation and demand that this bill be repealed.
Maintaining the open border between Northern Ireland and the EU country Ireland is a key part of the "Brexit" agreement.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair led the parties in Northern Ireland to sign the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement in 1998, ending the bloody conflict that had lasted for more than 30 years. After the signing of the agreement, the previously established border post on the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland was cancelled, and the border became a "soft border" where people and materials could flow freely.
Regarding the British government's promotion of the "Internal Market Act", US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden tweeted on social media, saying that the United States cannot watch the North Ireland Peace Agreement being damaged by Britain's "Brexit" and the United States and Britain reach any future trade agreement All should be premised on the respect of the North-Ireland Peace Agreement and avoiding returning to the hard border. Pelosi expressed the same position.
The Associated Press reported that Raab tried to assure the US that the passage of the Internal Market Act would not weaken the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement. Raab insisted that the Internal Market Act was "preventive" and "appropriate."
Regarding Biden’s tweet, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson responded, saying that Johnson made it clear that he would take all measures to ensure that the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement is maintained under all circumstances.
Many former British prime ministers opposed the "rewriting" of the "Brexit" agreement. The Scottish regional legal officer of the British government Richard Keane resigned on the grounds that they could not support the Internal Market Act.
In the United Kingdom, the government made a concession later on the 16th, promising that if it uses the power granted by the Internal Market Act to overturn some of the provisions of the "Brexit" agreement, it must be approved by Parliament. However, analysts believe that this compromise may only alleviate the urgent need for the bill to be obstructed by the lower house of the British parliament, which is far from the EU's requirement to abolish the bill.