Boris Johnson to show off Brexit opportunities by axing EU regulations

Boris Johnson to show off Brexit opportunities by axing EU regulations
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Carl Bennett

By Carl Bennett


Published: 30/05/2022

- 06:08

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 11:13

The new push comes after polling from YouGov revealed the Prime Minister could lose his seat at the next general election

The Prime Minister is planning a "bonfire" of EU laws, reportedly in a bid to show off the opportunities presented by Brexit and move on from Partygate.

The initiative will focus on cutting EU regulation on the environment, farming, transport and tax, with Cabinet ministers reportedly hoping that the changes will allow Britain to out-compete European countries.


Details of the proposal will be revealed alongside the Brexit Freedoms Bill, first announced in the Queen's speech. The bill is intended to make it easier to repeal or amend existing EU law and will lead to the cutting of £1 billion of regulation.

The new push comes after polling from YouGov revealed the Prime Minister could lose his seat at the next general election, alongside other large-scale losses.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to CityFibre Training Academy in Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to CityFibre Training Academy in Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington.
Owen Humphreys

The move is understood to be part of an ongoing review of EU retained law being co-ordinated by minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, which will feed into the Brexit Freedoms Bill.

A separate announcement about a consultation on bringing imperial weights and measures back into more popular use is expected to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, in what Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis described as a “light-hearted” post-Brexit policy that he argued the public and traders are keen on.

More Tories in recent days have publicly announced they want a confidence vote in the future of Mr Johnson’s leadership in response to his handling of the revelations about No 10 lockdown parties.

The number to have confirmed they have submitted a letter of no confidence has almost reached half the amount needed to trigger a vote, although the actual figure could be higher given MPs do not have to declare if they have handed in a letter.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbenchers, will be obliged to order a confidence vote if 54 Tory MPs demand one.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference in Downing Street, London, following the publication of Sue Gray's report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference in Downing Street, London, following the publication of Sue Gray's report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown.
Leon Neal

Speculation about the Prime Minister’s future comes after questions were raised about the independence of Ms Gray’s final report, with claims that she was lobbied not to name officials who attended events while England was in lockdown.

The police did not investigate the alleged evening flat gathering and by the time the aide offered to share the messages with Ms Gray, the Cabinet Office said the probe had been wrapped-up.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has followed-up the allegations by writing to Mr Case to call on him to release any correspondence that relates to Mr Johnson’s “whereabouts” that evening.

She said: “It is crucial that you now advise the Prime Minister to come clean about his involvement in this apparently rule-breaking gathering.”

When Parliament returns next week from its recess to mark the jubilee, the Commons Privileges Committee is likely to soon commence its investigation into whether the Prime Minister misled MPs with his reassurances that Covid laws were followed in No 10.

Ms Rayner said the committee should be handed any information related to the possible evening birthday gathering as part of its inquiry.

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