Reports are doing the rounds that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set for a showdown with the Church of England over Brexit. Five Anglican archbishops have stunned many by warning that Boris Johnson’s Brexit legislation would set a ‘disastrous precedent’ as well as undermining Britain’s standing in the world.
This group is led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The group have said that the Internal Market Bill, that would come into effect if Britain leaves with an Australian style arrangement with the EU, would damage Britain’s standing in the world and put peace in Northern Ireland at risk.
This political intervention has resulted in a furious backlash from Tory MPs. The former Brexit minister David Jones has stated that these comments ‘betray a lack of understanding of the issues involved’. He also added: ‘This is way beyond the remit of the Church. It is a straightforward question of constitutional propriety. Once again, the archbishops seem to have swallowed every scrap of Remain propaganda unquestioningly and are now regurgitating it. It makes my blood boil’.
These interventions come against the backdrop of the Internal Market Bill beginning its passage through the House of Lords today. Some are fearing a constitutional clash between the Lords and the Commons which could undermine the Prime Minister’s negotiating hand.
The former chairman of the ERG Steve Baker has said that he was ‘extremely disappointed that the archbishops are sowing disunity and division at a time when they could instead build up much needed harmony in our nation. I pray that the archbishops might be blessed with better legal advice. They would then realise the hysterics of various lawyers are not justified’.
The prominent Brexiteer Darren Grimes said via Twitter: “66 pc of Anglicans voted Leave, that highlights the gap between the upper echelons of established Church and its laity. I’d hazard a guess that says a majority of us support a Bill that ensures the EU cannot issue thinly veiled threats to the food supply of a part of the UK too”.
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Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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