Forgetting for a moment that the EU itself is a serial breaker of international law (see the recent German Constitutional Court decision) & the fact we haven’t actually seen what the #InternalMarketBill says there are plenty of justifications in the WA /1

Firstly there’s Article 184 of the WA that commits the UK & the EU to negotiate in “good faith” on the future relationship. /2

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Over the past year the EU has done anything but negotiate in good faith.

They’ve held things up.

Refused to discuss areas of that could be agreed quickly until they got their way in other areas.

And claim they had a right to an office in #Belfast /3 https://aaronrankin.com/is-the-eu-serious-about-reaching-a-deal

There’s also Article 16 of the #NorthernIreland Protocol that would give the government grounds to act if it would lead to “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist” /4

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They could be justified on this front because since January the EU has taken a very maximalist interpretation of the protocol.

As far as they’re concerned #NorthernIreland is still part of the EU for customs purposes rather than a customs transit zone as the HMG sees it. /5

If the EU’s interpretation we’re allowed to prevail this would mean that #NorthernIreland would be economically cut off from its vitally important domestic market & would also conflict with application of Article 4 of the same protocol. /6

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All considered the Withdrawal Agreement does give the UK not insignificant grounds to defend its economic & territorial integrity in the face of a revanchist & intransigent EU. /7

What does this all mean in relation to the #InternalMarketBill?

We’ll have to wait till tomorrow to find out. /8

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