Lia Nici votes to scrap 50 years worth of law
Grimsby MP Lia Nici has voted to scrap over 2,400 EU laws in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.
Following the UK’s departure from the EU in January 2020, parliament is now attempting to pass a new bill that would remove 47 years worth of EU law retained by the UK by the end of 2023.
Ministers promised to replace and rewrite the laws in new legislation but many organisations are concerned that they could be changed or poorly redrafted.
Trade unions, lawyers and environmentalists are calling on Rishi Sunak to scrap the legislation as it would remove protections including the ban on animal testing for cosmetics, workers’ rights and environmental measures.
Ms Nici, along with 274 Tory MPs, voted in favour of the bill despite leading lawyers calling it “anti-democratic” and “completely barking”.
Other laws that could be removed or rewritten include equal pay for men and women, pension rights for same-sex married couples, food standards and aviation safety rules.
In a joint statement, the Trades Union Congress, the RSPB, the Civil Society Alliance, and Wildlife Trusts said: “We are concerned that if passed into law, it could cause significant confusion and disruption for businesses, working people and those seeking to protect the natural environment.
“The bill would automatically sweep away thousands of pieces of legislation, upend decades’ worth of case law, and risks putting the UK in breach of the trade and co-operation agreement with the EU.
“Ministers have yet to explain which laws they intend to retain, to amend or allow to expire. Nor have they explained how government and parliament will cope with the vast amount of legislation this will involve being rushed through before the end of next year.”
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