Dear John,

A massive defeat for the government on the Internal Market Bill.

The House of Lords has listened to our campaign.

We sent tens of thousands of emails to MPs about the Internal Market Bill and over 6,000 emails directly to government whips and party spokespeople within the Lords.

We shared our open letter, which received more than 13,000 signatures, with each peer personally – and received some very encouraging responses.

Thanks to supporters like yourself, the Lords were encouraged to vote down a Bill which breaks an international agreement and threatens peace in Ireland. Yet the government has announced its intention to reinstate these clauses unamended when the Bill returns to the Commons.

The Lords have sent an important message to the government. But ultimately, they can only delay the Bill. The surest way to protect Northern Ireland and the UK’s international standing is to secure a deal with Europe.

Send a message to your MP today, and urge them to reach a deal while there is still time. We have just days left. Send our no deal impact report to your representative and let them know what’s at stake for your community. Send your message.

The government claims the Internal Market Bill is necessary to maintain trade between the nations of the UK.

But if we leave the single market without a deal, there must be a border between the UK and the EU somewhere. If it is not in the Irish sea, it will be on the island of Ireland. That is an unequivocal breach of the Belfast Agreement.   

In the wake of Biden’s election, an ardent defender of peace in Ireland, there is immense pressure on this government. Its reckless tactics with the Internal Market Bill could cost the UK a deal with the USA on top of a no deal Brexit.

Even if the government ignores the Lords’ clear message, we can still avoid the most destructive impacts of the Bill if the UK reaches a wide-ranging deal with Europe. Send a message to your MP before it’s too late.

The Lords voted down the clauses which amounted to a breach of international law. They have drawn their line in the sand. For now, we must focus our efforts and reach a deal in the few remaining days.

What comes next will be on this government’s head alone. Their efforts to subvert the law will not be forgotten.

Best wishes,

Cary Mitchell,
Director of Operations, Best for Britain