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Brexit: Boris Johnson clears crucial Commons hurdle in bid to push through Internal Market Bill

Michael Roth, Germany's minister for Europe, told the UK to "stop the games" - AP
Michael Roth, Germany's minister for Europe, told the UK to "stop the games" - AP

The Brexit legislation enabling Boris Johnson to alter key parts of the Withdrawal Agreement cleared a major Commons hurdle on Tuesday night.

The Internal Market Bill cleared its committee stage after an amendment tabled by the Government to head off a Tory backbench rebellion was accepted without the need for a vote.

Mr Johnson was last week forced to agree to give MPs a vote before ministers can use powers related to Northern Ireland which would breach the divorce deal and international law.

While the legislation will return to the Commons next week, ministers intend to delay its final stages in the House of Lords until after a crunch EU summit in mid-October where they hope to sign off on a trade deal.

This would likely mean that the Bill would not return to the Commons again until December, just weeks before the transition period ends.

By extending the timetable, Downing Street hopes to avoid inflaming tensions with Brussels at the final stages of negotiations while also holding the legislation in reserve as leverage to extract last-minute concessions.

Government sources have also indicated that in the event of a deal the offending clauses in the Bill could be withdrawn.

It came as Germany on Tuesday told Britain to stop playing “games” if it wants to strike a trade deal with the EU, as both France and Ireland warned the UK it would face legal action if it reneged on the Withdrawal Agreement.

Paris warned Britain that there will be no trade deal with Brussels unless MPs bow to EU demands to drop provisions in the Internal Market Bill that renege on the Withdrawal Agreement.

Michael Roth, Germany's Europe minister, said, "We are really really disappointed about the results of the negotiations so far. Please dear friends in London stop the games. Time is running out.”

“We're all standing together. We can’t allow ourselves to be divided. And we're certainly right up behind Ireland.”