Tory MP Tobias Ellwood "cannot live with" a Brexit Bill that breaks international law
14 September 2020, 18:48
Tobias Ellwood "cannot live with" the Government breaking the law
Commons Defence Select Committee chair and Tory MP Tobias Ellwood told LBC he "cannot live with" a Brexit Bill that breaks international law, after the Government admitted last week that it would.
Downing Street is facing an escalating revolt over the new Bill, being voted on in the Commons on this evening, which overrides parts of Britain’s Withdrawal Treaty with the EU.
Read more: LIVE Boris Johnson and Ed Miliband open debate on UK Internal Market Bill
Conservative MP Rehman Chishti quit as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief on Monday morning in protest.
Mr Ellwood told Eddie Mair he was "supportive of the Prime Minister's bid to get Brexit done and ensure we have an insurance policy if we fall out with no deal."
However, he continued, he has concerns that "we're going about this by breaking or getting close to breaking international law and that's not something I can live with."
Mr Ellwood said that as chair of the Defence Select Committee he wants to see the UK playing an "important international role on the world stage."
"Everything we stand for, what we've done in our past is all about our sovereignty, our power, our influence, our trust and our integrity," Mr Ellwood said, calling for the Government to achieve Brexit "with their heads held high."
Mr Ellwood told LBC the next EU Summit will occur on 15 October and discussions on issues of trade and agriculture "should take place over the table" instead of "bleeding out" on to social media.
He suggested the Prime Minister should host a summit at Chequers with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to help conclude Brexit itself.
Mr Ellwood said: "This debate today is not about securing a deal, it's about what happens if you don't. So absolutely these need to be discussed but there are two issues: fisheries and state aid. So let's conclude those and all this...discussion we're having right now becomes irrelevant."
