“Retained EU law” is something that sounds interesting only to legal geeks. But it matters, and Jacob Rees-Mogg’s plans to sweep aside 47 years’ worth of these laws – set out in a bill due to be debated by the Commons on Tuesday – matter a lot.
Until Brexit, UK law was heavily influenced by our membership of the EU. So when we left, Theresa May’s government drew up legislation – the EU Withdrawal Act – to keep most laws in place until parliament decided to replace them, both to avoid huge gaps and to keep very important rights and protections.
