Brexit showdown takes place TONIGHT as Sunak battles Tory rebels on plan to ditch EU laws - 'We've got to double down!'

Rishi Sunak will take on Tory rebels this evening in Parliament as he prepares to “double down” on his pledge to abolish thousands of EU laws.

Earlier this week, Cabinet discussed the Retained EU Law Bill which sets a deadline for the end of the year to remove or reform all rules imposed on the UK when Britain was a part of the bloc.

Sunak told his Cabinet that the work has the “potential to drive growth and improve people’s everyday lives”.

He continued: “Developing the best regulatory environment in the UK will be crucial to accelerating our economic recovery and driving growth, innovation, and competitiveness as part of plans to build a better future across the country.”

Tonight, the Bill will return to the Commons as ministers debate proposals on post-Brexit regulatory changes.

It is hoped it will make it easier for the UK to amend, repeal and replace EU law retained after Brexit.

A Downing Street source said that abolishing the laws would improve the UK and bring down everyday costs for Brits.

“Brexit gave us the opportunity to revisit the way we do things and the way we regulate things.

“We’ve already delivered Brexit boons, from freeing up financial services in order to attract investment or deregulating to bring new business to our shores,” they told the Express.

“Now we’ve got to double down on that work. There are so many things we can do and so many areas to improve how we do things. It’s about harnessing those ideas into delivery to cut tape for businesses and reduce costs for families.”

But some MPs have accused the PM of using the move as a “power grab”.

It is hoped it will make it easier for the UK to amend, repeal and replace EU law retained after Brexit.
House of Commons

Labour's Justin Madders said: “From zoos to business leaders, trade unions, lawyers, environmental groups, even former Conservative MEPs, have raised the alarm about the impact of this Bill, because it is a leap into the dark, a kamikaze approach to Government, a power grab.”

Others encouraged the passing of the Bill, labelling the EU’s control over the UK a “massive ball and chain”.

Sir Bill Cash said: “We may have left the EU but a massive ball and chain preventing us from making our own laws, our own sovereign laws on our own time, is embedded in that Act.”

A number of Conservative backbenchers have threatened to side with Labour to amend the Bill to give MPs a greater say over who makes the final decision on which laws remain.

Earlier this week, Cabinet set a deadline for the end of the year to remove or reform all EU rules.
Jonathan Brady