Rees-Mogg says ‘no excuse’ for not meeting deadline to scrap EU law
Keir Starmer discusses Brexit and a second referendum
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Jacob Rees-Mogg has said “there is no excuse” for the Government not to meet the deadline for the scrapping of certain retained European Union laws. The bloc’s laws were copied into domestic law when Britain left the European Union in January, 2020. They were kept during a transition period which ended in January 2021.
Some have questioned the Government’s commitment to removing some 4,000 pieces of EU legislation from the UK’s statute book, including former Brexit minister David Jones who urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to act.
Ministers have pledged to “sunset” Brussels’ laws by December 31 this year through the Government’s Retained EU Law Bill, which is making its way through Parliament.
Mr Rees-Mogg MP told Express.co.uk
The former Business Secretary’s comments come as analysis from Lancaster University’s Work Foundation shows workers on part-time, fixed-term or agency worker contracts will be most at risk if the Government presses ahead with its post-Brexit plans.
The study argues the plans to replace, amend or scrap retained European Union laws by the end of the year put the rights and protections of 8.6 million workers at risk.
A briefing published today (January 11) also says 8.2 million part-time workers in the UK fall into the most at-risk category, according to the Work Foundation.
Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, said: “UK workers are already facing the worst cost-of-living squeeze in generations and the prospect of rising unemployment.
“The last thing millions need is a year of uncertainty in relation to their basic employment rights, but that is exactly what the Government’s current approach to integrating EU regulations into UK law provides.”
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He added: “Women are likely to bear the brunt of this additional anxiety as they make up the majority of part-time, fixed-contract and agency work.”
Mr Harrison continued: “The irony is these regulations do need to be improved and this Government had previously committed to a new Employment Bill during this Parliament in order to deliver on pledges to strengthen worker rights post-Brexit.”
The foundation says rights which could be lost or diluted by the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill include holiday pay, maternity leave and protection of part time and fixed-term workers.
Mr Harrison said the Equality Act could also be affected as although it does not originate from the EU, cases have so far been determined on the basis of the bloc’s decision-making.
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He explained: “So, even though the Equality Act will remain, its interpretation and application will no longer have to consider EU practice. This means we could see different decisions made around cases to close the gender pay gap, for example.”
Mr Rees-Mogg dismissed the findings as scare-mongering. He said: “It’s a political view wrapped up as academic research. It assumes that the Government will do something that is not Government policy.
“The Government is not taking away worker’s rights. It’s turning EU law into domestic law. This is cheap scaremongering. You would have thought an academic institution would not politicise itself in this way.
“We voted to leave in 2016. There has been plenty of warning we would need to domesticate [EU] laws.”
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “This Bill is a recipe for chaos. Rights and protections that workers fought hard for could be swept away at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2024.”
Mr Rees-Mogg said in response: “Of course the TUC is calling for its withdrawal. The TUC campaigned to remain in the EU.”
Mr Harrison said: “The Brexit referendum was not a vote for the Government of the day to have carte blanche to amend EU retained law as they see fit. Divergence from EU regulations is of course to be expected, and could improve workers’ rights and lives.
“However, rushing such changes without proper Parliamentary scrutiny will not ensure the regulations are fit for purpose and reflective of the UK labour market in the 21st Century.”
The Government has been approached for comment.
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