Lords plot to sabotage Sunak’s post-Brexit plans to axe 4,000 EU laws

Jacob Rees-Mogg defends Retained EU Law Bill

Peers are attempting to delay a Brexit bonfire of EU laws by five years. The Retained EU Law Bill paves the way for more than 4,000 Brussels-derived laws still on the UK statute book to be scrapped by the end of the year.

But a cross-party group of peers have tabled an amendment to delay the axing of the redundant EU laws until 2028, the Telegraph reports.

The peers, including ex-Conservative Party chairman Lord McLoughlin and former Tory Armed Forces Minister Lord Hamilton of Epsom, are demanding Parliament be given a final say, rather than the Government.

They want the deadline to ditch the laws accumulated during decades in the bloc pushed back to December 31 2028.

It comes after Conservative former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg previously warned peers against obstructing the legislation.

Mr Rees-Mogg told the Express: “As the Bill passed the Commons with a large majority I hope the Lords will recognise its strong democratic mandate.

“Although there are many Peers who have never liked the referendum result they are there to revise technical detail not to obstruct the voters.”

The Bill has already cleared the Commons but has received a furious reception in the Lords.

Opponents claim it is a powergrab by the Government and that it threatens legal rights and protections.

During the committee stage in the upper chamber last month, Government minister Lord Callanan defended the Bill.

On retained EU laws, he said it was “constitutionally novel and inappropriate to leave them on the statute book indefinitely”.

He added: “That there are still circumstances where retained EU law takes precedence over UK law is not consistent with our status as an independent nation now.

“The principle of EU supremacy must be ended as soon as it can be.”

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