Does not make sense to keep Charter of Fundamental Rights post-Brexit
Legislation to sever political, financial and legal ties with the European Union is vital to ensuring Britain leaves the bloc in an orderly manner, Brexit minister David Davis said on Thursday.
UPDATE: It does not make sense for Britain to retain the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights after it leaves the bloc, Britain’s Brexit minister David Davis said.
Parliament began debating legislation on Thursday to sever political, financial and legal ties with the EU, but the opposition Labour Party has said it cannot support the bill without it being amended to better protect workers’ rights.
loading...
“We also do not believe it would make sense to retain the Charter of Fundamental Rights,” Davis told parliament. “The charter only applies to member states when acting within the scope of EU law. We will not be a member state nor will we be acting within the scope of EU law once we leave.
He added: “The charter catalogues the rights found under EU law which will be brought into UK law by the bill. It is not, and never was, the source of those rights.
Davis also said the powers offered by the EU withdrawal bill, which seeks largely to copy and paste EU law into British legislation, would allow the government to make sure the statute book works on the day Britain leaves the EU.
“This bill is vital to ensuring that as we leave, we do so in an orderly manner,” Davis said at the start of a debate in parliament on the bill.
Loading...