AFTER months of Covid-19 dominating the headlines, Brexit was back at the top of the bill last night as MPs voted on a controversial new bill.

Critics and even Government ministers have said the Internal Market Bill "breaks international law" but Prime Minister Boris Johnson has argued the Bill is crucial to protect the integrity of the UK and avoid disruption.

The Government won the vote in the House of Commons last night by 340 votes to 263, but how did Bradford's MPs vote?

  • Imran Hussain (Labour, Bradford East) - Voted against the Bill
  • Naz Shah (Labour, Bradford West) - Against
  • Judith Cummins (Labour, Bradford South) - Against
  • Philip Davies (Conservative, Shipley) - For
  • Robbie Moore (Conservative, Keighley) - For
  • Stuart Andrew (Conservative, Pudsey) - Abstained
  • Alex Sobel (Labour, Leeds North West) - Against
  • Tracy Brabin (Labour, Batley and Spen) - Against

What is the Internal Market Bill?

Brought forward by the Government over the weekend, the Internal Market Bill aims to prevent disruption in trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Government said it protects the threat of exports from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, a claim opposition parties and many senior Conservative figures and former Prime Ministers have criticised.

Controversially, the bill seeks to overrule parts of the Brexit deal agreed with the European Union in January, and international treaty.

Part of the Brexit deal, written and agreed by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson nine months ago, is an agreement Northern Ireland will continue to follow some EU rules after the UK has fully left the EU in 2021, in order to prevent the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland.

But this new bill put forward by the Government goes against its own Brexit deal - and therefore international law - by allowing UK ministers to "disapply" previously agreed rules relating to Northern Ireland if there is a No Deal Brexit.

Brandon Lewis, the Government's Northern Ireland Secretary, admitted last week the bill breaks international law, "in a specific and limited way".

The UK will leave the EU at the end of 2020 and with time running out and negotiations deadlocked, it will be interesting to see what impact this new bill has on talks with Europe.