FIVE former Prime Ministers have now criticised Boris Johnson's Internal Market Bill ahead of it being debated in parliament.
The Bill has caused chaos within the UK as well as in Europe after a government minister admitted it would break international law and over-rule parts of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement if it passed.
David Cameron is the latest former prime minister to speak out against it, joining Tony Blair, John Major, Gordon Brown and Theresa May.
Former Attorney General Geoffrey Cox has also criticised it today, saying the Prime Minister is damaging the UK's reputation by pushing it through.
Mr Cameron said: “Passing an Act of Parliament and then going on to break an international treaty obligation is the very, very last thing you should contemplate.
“It should be an absolute final resort. So, I do have misgivings about what’s being proposed.”
Mr Cox, who was Mr Johnson’s former attorney general when the Withdrawal Agreement was signed, said the government “knew” what it was signing up to when it ratified the exit terms.
He said: “What I can say from my perspective is we simply cannot approve or endorse a situation in which we go back on our word, given solemnly not only by the British Government and on behalf of the British Crown, but also by Parliament when we ratified this in February, unless there are extreme circumstances which arrive involving a breach of duty of the good faith by the EU.
“In those circumstances, there are then lawful remedies open to us and it is those we should take rather than violating international law and a solemn treaty.
“The breaking of the law leads ultimately to very long-term and permanent damage to this country’s reputation and it is also a question of honour to me – we signed up, we knew what we were signing.”
The Brexiteer warned he would not back the UK Internal Market Bill unless ministers dispel the impression that they plan to “permanently and unilaterally” rewrite an international agreement.
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