MP defends stance on Internal Market Bill after being condemned by local Lib Dems

WARRINGTON South MP Andy Carter has defended his stance on the Internal Market Bill after coming under fire from local Lib Dems.

Cllr Ryan Bate, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Warrington South condemned the Government for pushing through a Bill that it admits breaks international law and expressed disappointment at Mr Carter for “supporting the government’s deplorable position on international law.”
In a House of Commons vote on Monday evening, the Government won a majority for the first stage of its Internal Market Bill despite opposition from five former Prime Ministers.
Cllr Bate said, “It was disappointing to see Warrington South’s MP Andy Carter supporting the government’s deplorable position to disregard international law.
“The United Kingdom rightly has a proud reputation for upholding the rule of law and an international rules-based order. Its latest Bill would ride roughshod over this tradition and would shatter our reputation throughout the world.
“In choosing to not just ignore but knowingly break international law, the government is making our country a hypocrite. How could we challenge Russia or China for their disregard of the rule of law when we’re equally willing to play fast and loose with these hard-won principles? Why would any country trust the UK in a future negotiation or relationship when we so flagrantly break the promises we made to the European Union just nine months ago?”
But Mr Carter responded: “Cllr Bate doesn’t appear to understand the Parliamentary process. The vote last night was to allow the UK Internal Markets Bill to progress to Committee Stage, so I voted to create a law, not to break one”.
“I know the Lib Dems just follow their instincts to side with Brussels but if the EU’s position in negotiations is to stop trade between Northern Ireland businesses and the rest of Great Britain it’s vital that we protect the Union of the United Kingdom so that businesses can continue to trade as they do now, avoiding the burden of barriers. We cannot have any risk of Tesco not being able to stock shelves of their stores in Belfast in January”.
““I was elected to stand up for you and the United Kingdom and I will do just that. The purpose of the Bill is to take reasonable steps to create a safety net that ensures the Government is always able to deliver on its commitments to the people of the United Kingdom”.