Brexit | Workers' rights to be 'ripped up' in new deal

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed his iteration of the so-called ‘deal’ between the UK and the EU over the UK’s exit from the union.

The deal, which unlike that negotiated by former PM Theresa May, was voted through parliament with a working majority of 19 (almost entirely Labour) ministers. However, the coupled legislation seeking to force through the deal in just three parliamentary sittings was shot down – effectively putting an end to the PM’s hopes of securing the legislation needed to leave on the current deadline of October 31 2019.

One of the key discussion points raised by Leader of the Opposition, Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn, in the House of Commons whilst discussing the initial reactions to the deal was the guidance provided by the TUC, which stated that the UK’s businesses would be dramatically impacted by the deal, which Corbyn touted as, “worse than Theresa May’s”.

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So why is Johnson’s deal an issue for business? Well, the UK’s businesses, economists and trade bodies have remained in almost complete agreement since the referendum was held in 2016 that any form of exit from the EU would need to be in the form of a formal agreement, instead of simply ‘crashing out’ on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms. Whilst Johnson has indeed satisfied some by altering the Irish backstop, the subject of much contention in the House of Commons, including the DUP who are still unsatisfied with the results, which insinuate that certain tariffs and barrier checks will still be in place.