Jeremy Wright, Member of Parliament for Kenilworth and Southam, has today issued a statement on his stance towards the Internal Market Bill currently being discussed by parliament.

The bill, which was voted on last night (Monday) was backed by MPs, receiving 340 votes to 263.

The purpose of the bill is to allow goods and other services to move without issue across the United Kingdom when the nation leaves the EU's single market at the start of 2021.

Also contained, however, is power granted to the government which would allow them to change some of the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

This agreement, formalised earlier this year, spells out the terms for the UK's exit from Europe, and is of course a legally-binding document.

The bill supposedly offers a means for the UK government to be in a position to react if the EU interprets the Withdrawal Agreement, especially the Northern Ireland Protocol, in a way that is "unreasonable."

Jeremey Wright has said "I think [the] majority of the Bill is sensible and necessary for a United Kingdom single market when we are no longer subject to EU rules.

"My issue is with the clauses that take what was agreed less than a year ago about the primacy of the Withdrawal Agreement over domestic law and reverse it. They are not a clarification, but a contradiction of that Agreement."

Wright, who worked in law before he became a politician, contends that the bill would break International Law, and goes on to say that this cannot be justified under these circumstances.

"The blatant and unilateral breach of a Treaty commitment could only be justified in the most extreme and persuasive circumstances."

He continues, spelling out that there is no need to sanction these new governmental powers "the Withdrawal Agreement sets out a mechanism for resolving disputes about interpretation, involving binding independent Arbitration and penalties, including the suspension of obligations under the Agreement.

"If the EU's new approach is so far from what the Agreement intended, I do not see why the Government would not succeed using that mechanism."

Wright highlighted his belief that the UK government has a responsibility to uphold their international reputation, and therefore not break International Law.

"The rules referred to are rules of international law. If we break them ourselves, we weaken our authority to make the arguments the world's most vulnerable need us to make.

"It is also not in our long term diplomatic or commercial interests to erode the reputation we have earned for the strength of our word and our respect for the rule of law, a reputation we will rely on more than ever when the Brexit process is complete."

Wright abstained from the second reading vote.

A link to his full statement can be found here.