Former UK leaders unite to slam Boris Johnson on Brexit plan

Two former British prime ministers who played crucial roles in bringing peace to rrn Ireland joined forces Sunday to urge lawmakers to reject government plans to override Brexit deal with European Union, arguing that it imperils that peace and dams U.K.'s reputation .

In an article in Sunday Times, John Major and Tony Blair slammed current British government for “shaming” country with legislation that, in places, goes against very deal it signed to allow for U.K.'s smooth departure from EU earlier this year.

Major, a Conservative prime minister from 1990 to 1997, and Blair, his Labour successor for a dece, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Internal Market Bill “questions very integrity" of U.K.

“This government’s action is shaming itself and embarrassing our nation," y said.

planned legislation, which will be debated by British lawmakers this week, has led to a furious outcry within EU as it would diminish bloc's previously agreed oversight of tre between mainland Britain and rrn Ireland if a U.K.-EU tre agreement isn’t secured.

British government has mitted that legislation would break international law, but argues that it's an insurance policy in event a tre deal with EU is t secured by end of this year. Johnson has said legislation is needed to end EU threats to impose a “blocke” in Irish Sea that prime minister asserted could “carve up our country.” EU leers have furiously rejected that charge.

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told BBC on Sunday that legislation was a “break glass in emergency provision," if needed, and that he would resign if he believed rule of law was broken in an “unacceptable” way.

“I don’t believe we’re going to get to that st,” he said.

With British government showing sign of changing course, re are real concerns that talks on a future tre deal between U.K. and EU could collapse within weeks. If that happens, tariffs and or impediments to tre will be imposed by both sides at start of 2021.

U.K. left EU on Jan. 31, but it is in a transition period that effectively sees it benefit from bloc’s tariff-free tre until end of year while a future relationship is negotiated. Even before latest standoff, discussions between EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his U.K. counterpart, David Frost, h me very little progress.

One major element of Brexit withdrawal agreement is section related to ensuring an open border on island of Ireland to protect peace process in rrn Ireland.

issue proved thorny during more than two years of discussions it took to get a Brexit deal done, as border between rrn Ireland and Ireland is only land link between U.K. and EU.

EU wanted assurances border would t be used as a back route for unlicensed goods arriving in Ireland from rest of U.K. — England, Scotland and Wales. As a result, two sides agreed re would be some kind of regulatory border between mainland Britain and rrn Ireland.

Major and Blair, who both vociferously opposed Brexit, said planned legislation puts 1998 Good Friday agreement that ended deces of violence in rrn Ireland at risk.

Th pair said bill "negates predictability, political stability and legal clarity that are integral to delicate balance between rth and south of Ireland that is at core of peace process.”

It's unclear wher planned legislation will get through British Parliament, with a number of Johnson's fellow Conservatives uneasy at prospect of government breaching international law.

Tobias Ellwood is one lawmaker who has said he could t accept legislation, arguing that bill diminishes “our role-model status as defender of global standards.”