Rishi nightmare as Brexit pledge torn apart in leaked documents just HOURS before debate
RISHI SUNAK pledged that he would scrap hundreds of remaining EU laws and regulations by the next election- but leaked documents show he was told last month this would take longer.
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The former Chancellor said if he wins the leadership race to become the UK's next Prime Minister, he would scrap the laws. However, leaked documents show that just last month this couldn't be completed until at least 2026, and EU tax law had to be exempt.
During his campaign to become PM and win over Brexiteers, Sunak said he would appoint a Brexit minister to go through the remaining 2,400 EU laws still on the statute book.
The minister would come forward with recommendations for rules to be scrapped or changed within 100 days of Mr Sunak entering Number 10.
He said he had always backed Brexit despite warning it could damage his political career.
The statement appears to appeal to a number of strongly pro-Brexit MPs who at the moment are backing other candidates.
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This includes Foreign Secretary Liz Truss - despite her backing Remain in the 2016 referendum.
Writing on Twitter, Mr Sunak said: "If I am elected, by the time of the next election, I will have scrapped or reformed all of the EU law, red tape and bureaucracy that is still on our statute book and slowing economic growth."
He said: "As Prime Minister, I would go further and faster in using the freedoms Brexit has given us to cut the mass of EU regulations and bureaucracy holding back our growth. If we do this, we can get our economy growing quickly again and become the most prosperous country in Europe."
However, reporter Alex Wickham said the Chancellor was told last month this wouldn't be possible.
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He said: "Leaked documents show just 3 weeks ago Sunak’s Treasury privately argued EU tax law had to be exempt from the bonfire of retained EU law.
"Letter shows the Treasury said it wasn’t possible to just rip up four decades of EU tax law on the UK statute book."
The letter was dated June 23, 2022, which demanded that EU tax law be exempt from Jacob Rees-Mogg’s bonfire of Brussels legislation.
It also warned that sunsetting retained EU law by 2026 was undeliverable.
Writing on Twitter, Mr Wickham said: "The leaked letter reveals a fascinating and unknown private Treasury view about Brexit: That it is just not possible to easily remove four decades of EU tax law from the UK statute books without the govt facing massive litigation."
Sunak's pledge is said to defy advice from his treasury team and "raises questions about that red meat for Brexiteers", according to the political commentator.
He is currently in the lead in the eyes of his peers, followed closely by Penny Mordaunt, with the final three comprising foreign secretary Liz Truss, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat.
The second ITV leadership debate will go ahead at 7pm tonight - Sunday, July 17.