Brexit: Just 800 of estimated 4,000 EU laws to be scrapped by year’s end, MPs told by minister
The “bonfire” of EU legislation by the government is to scrap less than a quarter of the estimated European laws on statute books, MPs have been told.
Sky News understands Eurosceptic Tory MPs were told by Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch just 800 of roughly 4,000 laws are expected to be ditched by the end of this year.
Brexiteer Conservatives – including the European Research Group – will be angered by what they will see as a watering down of a promised “bonfire” of EU “red tape”.
Rishi Sunak said at his agenda-setting New Year’s speech that a “big part” of increasing growth in the country was “seizing the opportunities of Brexit”, which includes making sure that “regulations are agile” and support “innovation”.
“We have new opportunities and freedoms to do that, and we are absolutely going to seize them to deliver for the country,” he added at the time.
Jacob Rees-Mogg was the Brexit opportunities minister who was shepherding the Retained EU Law Bill through parliament before he left government when Mr Sunak took office.
This law would revoke EU laws by the end of this year which are judged not to be essential.
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch
Mr Rees-Mogg branded the update from Downing Street as “thin gruel”.
And one Eurosceptic MP told Sky News: “I’m extremely disappointed.
“It goes against all the assurances we have had from the prime minister.
“In fact, I’d be very surprised if he supported it.”
But a person previously involved in Brexit discussions welcomed the move – and highlighted its pragmatic nature.
Raoul Ruparel, who advised Theresa May on Brexit, said that this was “surely how the process was meant to work” – and that removing laws “for the sake of it” would be “nonsense”.
He also pointed out that the ERG’s failure to muster a large rebellion over the government’s new agreement with the EU on Northern Ireland may have emboldened Downing Street.
Naomi Smith, the chief executive of the anti-Brexit campaign group Best for Britain, said: “Unless it is scrapped entirely, this bill will automatically remove workers’ rights, food standards and environmental protections by the end of the year while unleashing economic chaos in the UK.”
Sources close to Ms Badenoch did not deny she made the remarks.
Jacob Rees-Mogg in Downing Street
A government spokesman said ministers continue to support the bill and removing “unnecessary” EU laws – but did not commit to completing the removal by the start of 2024.
He said: “We remain committed to ensuring the Retained EU Law Bill receives royal assent and that the supremacy of EU law ends with unnecessary and burdensome EU laws removed by the end of this year.
“Once passed, the bill will enable the country to further seize the opportunities of Brexit by ensuring regulations fit the needs of the UK, helping to grow our economy and drive innovation.”
Donald Trump has threatened Russia with more sanctions after a series of deadly strikes across Ukraine, as he said of Vladimir Putin: “What the hell happened to him?”
The US president appeared aghast at the conduct of his counterpart in the Kremlin after drone and missile attacks in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities left 12 people dead and dozens more injured.
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Speaking to reporters at an airport in New Jersey ahead of a flight back to Washington, Mr Trump said: “I’m not happy with Putin. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”
“He’s killing a lot of people,” he added. “I’m not happy about that.”
Mr Trump – who said he’s “always gotten along with” Mr Putin – told reporters he would consider more sanctions against Moscow.
“He’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all,” he said.
Ukraine said the barrage of strikes overnight into Sunday was the biggest aerial attack of the war so far, with 367 drones and missiles fired by Russian forces.
It came despite Mr Trump repeatedly talking up the chances of a peace agreement. He even spoke to Mr Putin on the phone for two hours last week.
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Hundreds of drones fired at Ukraine
‘Shameful’ attacks
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ready to sign a ceasefire deal, and suggested Russia isn’t serious about signing one.
In a statement after the latest attacks on his country, he urged the US and other national leaders to increase the pressure on Mr Putin, saying silence “only encourages” him.
Mr Trump’s envoy for the country, Keith Kellogg, later demanded a ceasefire, describing the Russian attacks as “shameful”.
Three children were among those killed in the attacks, explosions shaking the cities of Kyiv, Odesa, and Mykolaiv.
Ukrainian siblings Tamara, 12, Stanislav, eight, and Roman, 17, were killed in Russian airstrikes. Pic: X/@Mariana_Betsa
Before the onslaught, Russia said it had faced a Ukrainian drone attack on Sunday. It said around 100 were intercepted and destroyed near Moscow and in central and southern regions.
The violence has escalated despite Russia and Ukraine completing the exchange of 1,000 prisoners each over the past three days.
Donald Trump says he will delay the imposition of 50% tariffs on goods entering the United States from the European Union until July, as the two sides attempt to negotiate a trade deal.
It comes after the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a post on social media site X that she had spoken to Mr Trump and expressed that they needed until 9 July to “reach a good deal”.
The US president had last Friday threatened to bring in the 50% tariffs from 1 June, as European leaders said they were ready to respond with their own measures.
But Mr Trump has now said that date has been put back to 9 July to allow more time for negotiations with the 27-member bloc, with the phone call appearing to smooth over tensions for now at least.
Speaking on Sunday before boarding Air Force One for Washington DC, Mr Trump told reporters that he had spoken to Ms Von der Leyen and she “wants to get down to serious negotiations” and she vowed to “rapidly get together and see if we can work something out”.
The US president, in comments on his Truth Social platform, had reignited fears last Friday of a trade war between the two powers when he said talks were “going nowhere” and the bloc was “very difficult to deal with”.
Mr Trump told the media in Morristown, New Jersey, on Sunday that Ms Von der Leyen “just called me… and she asked for an extension in the June 1st date. And she said she wants to get down to serious negotiation”.
“We had a very nice call and I agreed to move it. I believe July 9th would be the date. That was the date she requested. She said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out,” the US president added.
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Shortly after, he wrote on Truth Social: “I agreed to the extension – July 9, 2025 – It was my privilege to do so.”
On his so-called “liberation day” last month, Mr Trump unleashed tariffs on many of America’s trade partners. But since then he’s backed down in a spiralling tit-for-tat tariff face-off with China, and struck a deal with the UK.
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Much of his most incendiary rhetoric on trade has been directed at Brussels, though, even going as far as to claim the EU was created to rip the US off.
Responding to his 50% tariff threat, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said: “EU-US trade is unmatched and must be guided by mutual respect, not threats.
“We stand ready to defend our interests.”
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