The Prime Minister’s new ‘Brexit Freedoms’ Bill means less democracy, less freedoms, and less control. 

EMBARGO: Immediate

Responding to Government’s announcement on pledging to bring forward a new ‘Brexit Freedoms’ Bill, Jim Killock, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, said: 

“We were told Brexit meant ‘taking back control’, the Prime Minister’s new ‘Brexit Freedoms Bill’ is aimed at reducing Parliamentary oversight. This Bill means less democracy, less freedoms, and less control. 

“Prime Minister’s proposed Bill is aimed at letting the Executive rewrite a significant part of the rules that are affecting our daily lives, ranging from environmental, industrial and employment regulations to  consumer protection, personal data, transport, energy, safety standards for food, goods and products, culture, tourism, education and sport. 

“The Government’s intention to create a “less burdensome data rights regime compared to the EU’s GDPR” [1] means removal of protections against exploiting and discriminating against individuals on the basis of data that Government or corporations obtain about us. 

“This Bill will produce a generation of corporate lobbyists who will be rewriting our most important laws with minimal input from MPs and Peers. The Government’s so-called ‘Brexit Freedoms’ Bill is a mockery of Brexit and the promises made to bring democratic control over our laws.” 

ENDS 

Contact 

Press 07951265812 / press@openrightsgroup.org  

Notes to the Editor: 

[1]: Government’s Press Release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-pledges-brexit-freedoms-bill-to-cut-eu-red-tape

[2] ORG blog on the proposal from October https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/lord-frost-says-bypass-parliament-to-rewrite-eu-rules/