Johnson’s move to rewrite Brexit rules clears 1st hurdle

By SYLVIAI HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s bid to rip up parts of the post-Brexit trade deal he signed with the European Union has cleared its first hurdle in Parliament. Lawmakers voted 295 to 221 late Monday to give initial approval to a bill allowing U.K. officials to rewrite trade rules for Northern Ireland. The vote clears the way for the bill to undergo detailed scrutiny in coming weeks. If approved, the legislation would remove checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K., thereby scrapping parts of a trade treaty that Johnson signed before Britain left the EU in 2020. The British government says the rules are burdening businesses and undermining peace in Northern Ireland. Johnson’s opponents say the move is illegal.