Government face first defeat in the Lords over Internal Market Bill

Responding to the vote on Lord Judge's motion to the Internal Market Bill in the House of Lords, with the Government being defeated by 395 votes to 169 votes, Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords Dick Newby said:

For a long time now we have known that Boris Johnson and his Ministers have little regard for the rule of law, but this Bill goes far beyond what any Prime Minister should even contemplate - let alone pursue.

How can this Government seriously expect to condemn other countries, like Russia and China, for failing to respect international law if they plan to flout it themselves when it comes to the Withdrawal Agreement?

However, there is still time to ditch the Bill and prevent it from becoming law. The Government must row back and do what it can to salvage the UK's international reputation.

Breaking the law has consequences - and this resounding loss in the House of Lords is one of them. Liberal Democrats will always stand up for the rule of law - and plan to continue to stand up to those who think they're above it.