At the Conservative party conference last weekend, Brexit minister David Davis announced that The Great Repeal Bill would be introduced that would mean European Union law ceases to apply from the moment the United Kingdom officially leaves the EU.
The Government has said that the intention of this new bill, to be known as the Great Repeal Bill, is to convert EU law into domestic law whilst allowing ministers to amend, repeal, or improve legislation following appropriate scrutiny and debate.
The bill will also include some powers for ministers to make changes by way of secondary legislation whilst the Brexit negotiations are on-going.
Article 50
Prime Minister Theresa May also indicated at the weekend that Article 50, which once invoked would trigger the two year process required to leave the EU, would be in place by the end of March 2017.
In her speech Theresa May made it clear that our laws should be made in Westminster not Brussels, and that the judges interpreting those laws would be in the UK, not in Luxembourg, effectively ending any authority EU law had in Britain.
Also announced, was a review of employment practices, with Theresa May stating that she wants workers’ rights to remain protected, particularly in view of the current trend of flexible and self-employment continuing to increase.
Sports Direct and Uber
Already this year there has been a number of high profile stories with the likes of Sports Direct and Uber coming under scrutiny for appearing to pay their workers less than minimum wage. The review “will not just protect workers’ rights it will enhance them” Theresa May has said.
Industry body CBI has said there is an “urgent need for answers” with regards to the Government’s lack of clarity on their post-Brexit stance, when it comes to access to certain skills and freedom of movement – in particular how any change in access to the single market could affect business regulations.
The TUC are concerned that Britain has been a magnet for the wrong kind of bosses, reiterating that tougher rules must be put in place to stop zero hours contracts which are effectively undercutting decent employers. They also have concerns that the expense of employment tribunal fees is preventing hardworking people from getting justice and calling for them to be scrapped.
The review is to be headed by Matthew Taylor, head of an arts charity and a former Government policy advisor.
