London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

UK to drop Internal Market Bill clauses after agreeing with EU ‘in principle on all issues in Withdrawal Agreement’

UK to drop Internal Market Bill clauses after agreeing with EU ‘in principle on all issues in Withdrawal Agreement’

The UK and EU have agreed “in principle” on all the issues surrounding the post-Brexit protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, and London has dropped controversial parts of the legislation that saw Brussels launch legal action.

UK cabinet minister Michael Gove said he was “delighted” with the development, which he jointly announced with the European Commission’s Maroš Šefčovič on Tuesday.

The two co-chairs of the EU-UK Joint Committee released a joint statement, explaining that they had come to an agreement over controls along Northern Ireland’s border with Ireland – the UK’s only land border with the EU.

The two sides said they agreed in principle on several areas, including border controls and checks on animals, plants, medicines, and food supplies for supermarkets.



The EU and UK also reached other agreements on paper, including over goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain, agricultural and fish subsidies, and a panel for dispute settlement.

As part of the agreement, the UK government said it would drop three clauses of its Internal Market Bill, which would have allowed MPs to override specific areas of the Withdrawal Agreement with regards to Northern Ireland, including border arrangements and financial support.

In October, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would launch legal action against the UK government after it failed to remove clauses from the Internal Market Bill by the end of September deadline.

Gove and Šefčovič’s joint statement added that the UK had promised not to introduce any controversial clauses such as those in the Internal Market Bill into the Taxation Bill.

The breakthrough on the Withdrawal Agreement was welcomed by Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who said it would “finally provide some certainty” for the Irish border situation.

“I hope this may also provide some of the positive momentum necessary to instil confidence and trust, and allow progress in the wider context of the future-relationship negotiations,” he added.

The apparent headway made over the Northern Irish border – a major sticking point of the negotiations – may provide some optimism that an eleventh-hour deal can be struck when UK PM Boris Johnson meets with von der Leyen in Brussels this week for final talks on the wider post-Brexit trade issues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
×