The Guardian view on the internal market bill: a legal wrecking ball | Editorial

The government's proposals defy international law, destabilise the union and undermine Britain's reputation

To protect national sovereignty, the government is proposing a law that will undermine the deal it signed last year with the European Union to restore that same sovereignty. The logic is hard to fathom. It makes sense only in the context of a Brexit project that can never be completed to the perfect satisfaction of the Conservative party.

The internal market bill, published on Wednesday, represents the latest stage in the quest for an immaculate separation from Europe. Every vestige of EU influence over the territory of the UK must be purged. In pursuit of that goal, no diplomatic norm or constitutional principle - not even the duty to uphold international treaties - is safe.