The UK government has ditched its promise to complete a post-Brexit “bonfire” of remaining EU laws by the end of the year.
Under the government’s draft Retained EU Law Bill, almost all EU laws copied into the UK statute book following Brexit would be automatically revoked at the end of 2023, unless a statutory instrument is passed to preserve it.
Critics argue the bill hands too much power to the government, creates uncertainty, and threatens legal rights and protections.
Kemi Badenoch, Secretary of State for the Department for Business and Trade, departs the weekly Cabinet meeting at Downing Street, in central London, on May 2, 2023. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
In a written statement issued on Wednesday, business secretary Kemi Badenoch acknowledged that the “sunset clause” would create “risks of legal uncertainty.”…