Brexit deal threatens UK labour and climate standards, thinktank warns
IPPR says commitments on workers’ rights are weak, but agreement is better than a no-deal outcome
UK workers’ rights and climate and other environmental protections are at serious risk of being eroded under the Brexit trade deal, a leading thinktank has warned.
The Institute for Public Policy Research said that under the agreement struck on Christmas Eve, to be debated by MPs this week, commitments on workers’ rights and environmental standards to maintain fair competition between UK and EU businesses were considerably weaker than expected and would make it hard to prevent standards diverging over time.