Brexit: London assumes possible breaches of international law

British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis, September 1, 2020. JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP

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3 min

On the first day of the 8th round of post-Brexit negotiations, the British government admitted bluntly that it intended to break international law by calling into question aspects of the divorce treaty concluded with the EU last year.

A desire that caused a lot of turmoil in Europe but also within the British political class.

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From our correspondent in London, 

Muriel Delcroix

London will outlaw and assume: the minister said it loud and clear to Northern Ireland in an extremely unusual statement in Parliament on Tuesday

Last year's withdrawal agreement with Brussels stipulates that Northern Ireland will continue to follow certain EU customs rules, but Boris Johnson's government intends to introduce a law to allow it to apply the rules without the agreement of the European Union.

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Read also: Brexit: Ireland and Northern Ireland are worried about threats from London

To MPs who fear that this bill presented on Wednesday is illegal, Brandon Lewis simply replied that yes, this law will " 

violate international law in a very specific and limited way

 ."

This will has caused consternation in the House of Commons, including among the Conservatives.

Visibly angry, former Prime Minister Theresa May warned that this could undermine the UK's credibility and scare away future international partners.

The government assures that it will simply "clarify" the signed protocol but even its main legal adviser is not convinced and resigned to protest against a decision which it considers illegal.

For their part, the European negotiators who came to London will try to continue the

talks

until Thursday, but the deleterious atmosphere created by Downing Street is not really conducive to great progress.

► Also listen: Brexit: "It is likely that there is no agreement between the United Kingdom and the EU"

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