Inside Politics: Tory rebellion builds over Brexit bill, as EU threatens lawsuit

As the EU threatens legal action and sets a new deadline for trade talks, dozens of Tory MPs are ready to rebel against the government’s contentious Brexit bill, writes Adam Forrest

The PM is under fire for making changes to the ‘oven-ready’ Brexit deal (Getty)

Will the warriors of the culture wars ever see eye-to-eye? Everyone’s least favourite anti-woke activist Laurence Fox has apologised to actress Rebecca Front for sharing private messages about their political differences. “I’m going to try to build bridges rather than burn them,” said Obnoxy Foxy. Little hope of bridges being built between London and Brussels. Boris Johnson and the gang at No 10 are very much in burning down mode at the moment. With the EU now threatening to end trade talks unless the PM pulls his plan to tear up parts of the divorce deal, we appear destined to enter an even angrier phase of our Brexit culture war.

Inside the bubble

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock on what to look out for on Friday:

New weekly data showing infection rate of Covid-19 in England, from the Office for National Statistics, should give us a better idea of whether a second wave is on the way. In the Commons, a bill that seeks to ban charging for car parking at NHS hospitals gets a second reading in the Commons today. But we’ll have to wait until Monday for the legislation causing all the fuss – the second reading of the Internal Market Bill.

Daily briefing

DEADLINE DREAD: A big deadline, high-stakes brinkmanship and a Brexit bill that threatens the future of the country. Make you nostalgic for 2019? No, me neither. The EU has demanded the UK drops its bill to override parts of the withdrawal agreement “by the end of the month” or trade talks would collapse. Following his extraordinary meeting with Michael Gove (which turned out to be extraordinarily pointless) Maros Sefcovic said the EU would not be “shy” of taking legal action against the British government. The trade deal talks? Negotiators Michel Barnier and David Frost said the usual stuff at the end of the latest round, but the override bill has soured the chances of any breakthrough there. Germany’s ambassador to the UK, Andreas Michaelis, said: “In more than 30 years as a diplomat I have not experienced such a fast, intentional and profound deterioration of a negotiation.”

NEW REBEL ALLIANCE? In a memorable speech, Labour peer Lord Falconer said the international law-breaking bill’s “stinking hypocrisy” would make it impossible for the UK to hold dictators to account. But it’s the Tory revolt which is interesting to watch. The 2019 election was supposed to rid Johnson of this troublesome breed, but up to 30 MPs are ready to rebel on the bill, according to The Times. Sir Bob Neil urged the PM to think again: “For heaven’s sake, try and find some other way.” Sir Bob has tabled an amendment that would block the government from overriding the withdrawal agreement without parliament’s support. There’s an uprising in the Lords too. Lord Lamont, former Tory chancellor, said: “The government are in a terrible mess ... In a way, this [bill] could take us back to square one.” It was revealed that Lord Keen, advocate-general for Scotland, believes the bill amounts to a breach of the ministerial code. But will Johnson bother listening to a mere Scottish judge?

OFF TO BUTTON MOON: Matt Hancock has defended the government’s ambitious “moonshot” mass testing plan in the face of laughter and heckling in parliament. The health secretary hit out at the chuckling “naysayers” in the Commons: “I’m absolutely determined that we will get there.” Yet his naysaying cabinet colleague Grant Shapps admitted the technology for super-fast mass testing does not yet exist. Hancock’s colleagues are not happy with his insistence on bringing in the “rule of six”. The Telegraph reports that “half the Cabinet” were opposed to the new restrictions on social gatherings. The Scottish government has also brought in a ban on gatherings of more than six, but Nicola Sturgeon’s decision not to include under-12s may will put pressure on the PM to refine the rules south of the border. Worryingly, Sturgeon said the R transmission rate in Scotland could be as high as 1.5.

ISLAND SANCTUARY: Travellers from mainland Portugal and Hungary will now have to self-isolate from 4am on Saturday, after the now traditional weekly changes to England’s quarantine list. Mercifully for holidaymakers, quarantine-free travel is still allowed to the Portuguese islands of the Azores and Madeira. Grant Shapps reminded travellers they have to fill out the Passenger Locator Form. Shapps also admitted there was no particular reason for rule of six. “There isn’t, to answer your question ... it’s not that we looked around the world and we found ‘ah this country has used a specific number’.” Good to know, Grant. Elsewhere, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has provided us with a bit of good news this morning. How rare. The UK economy grew 6.6 per cent in July. However, despite the encouraging sign of recovery, output remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

NEW MARSHALL IN TOWN: So what about these new “Covid-secure marshals” that Johnson announced as part of his social distancing enforcement plan? Will these high vis vest-toting busybodies actually have any clout? Well, no. The Communities department confirmed they will have no formal powers and would have to be paid for by local authorities. Ken Marsh, chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said officers are “absolutely baffled” by what the marshals will actually do. “I’d like to understand is what actually is their role … Because if they don’t actually have any powers, you know what Joe Public will do very quickly.” Speaking of Joe Public, the leader of the TUC said the government should stop “scapegoating” young people and people working for home. Frances O’Grady said ministers had to own their own failings and had given people “contradictory” advice.

PLAYING WITH FIRE: Wildfires have become the latest curveball for Donald Trump and Joe Biden to tackle in the US election. More than half a million people in the Oregon have had to flee their homes as fires continue to rage across the Pacific Northwest. Biden tweeted that climate change “is already here – and we’re witnessing its devastating effects every single day”. Trump spoke with California governor Gavin Newsom to express “condolences”, but largest ignored the subject on the campaign trail. The president invoked the British war slogan “keep calm and carry on”, as he defended his efforts to tackle the coronavirus. He also called journalist Bob Woodward a “wack job” following the release of audio excerpts in which Trump can be heard admitting to downplaying the deadly threat of the disease.

On the record

“How can we reproach Russia or China or Iran when their conduct falls below internationally accepted standards when we are showing such scant regard for our treaty obligations?”

Michael Howard is dismayed by the PM’s willingness to renege on treaties.

From the Twitterati

“Something interesting is happening. The government is spoiling for a fight … No. 10 clearly expect & want EU to take it to ECJ / walk away from table.”

Ian Dunt thinks the government wants to burn it all down…

“Tories know they’re in a complete mess ... They’re attempting to drag everyone into their mess, so they can point fingers in every direction – EU, Lords, Supreme Court etc. – when the carnage comes, and pretend they’re the victims. Labour should steer well clear of it.”

…and fellow anti-Brexit campaigner Damon Evans has some advice for Labour during the meltdown.

Essential reading

John Rentoul, The Independent: Boris Johnson has got the Brexit crisis he wanted

Tom Peck, The Independent: Hancock’s strategy is aim high, blame everyone else when it fails

David Allen Green, Prospect: Why the rule of law in the UK really matters

Heather Digby Parton, Salon: Has the US military turned on Trump?

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