Last Thursday, July 13th, the UK government published the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017. What this Act will do, if enacted, is to incorporate into UK law as domestic law all existing EU law that currently applies to the UK. Thereafter, the UK government and parliament can amend those laws as they please, so that eventually there could be significant differences between UK law and EU law. There are many on the right wing of the Conservative Party who would very much like to see a bonfire of EU-inspired employment laws, especially the Working Time Directive and the Agency Workers Directive.
However, whether the Withdrawal Act makes it through Parliament as currently drafted remains to be seen. The Conservative government is in a minority in the House of Commons and many in the House of Lords are opposed to Brexit, which they believe is an act of economic self-harm on the part of the UK.
Publishing the Bill, Brexit Secretary David Davis said that Britain will leave the EU “with maximum certainty, continuity and control.” He added: “This Bill means that we will be able to exit the European Union with maximum certainty, continuity and control. That is what the British people voted for and it is exactly what we will do — ensure that the decisions that affect our lives are taken here in the U.K.
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