LibDems support aligning Product Safety Laws with EU standards.

Liberal Democrat MPs recently supported the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill in the House of Commons, which was approved by a vote of 264 to 99. The legislation grants ministers sweeping powers to regulate product standards and measurement units across Great Britain. Most notably, it allows the British government to dynamically align UK regulations with evolving EU laws on product safety—such as chemical standards and metrology—without needing further parliamentary approval. Critics, such as the Traditional Ulster Voice leader, Jim Allister, and Conservative Peer, David Frost, argue this effectively amounts to “sabotaging” Brexit, as ministers could re-establish alignment with EU law behind closed doors, undermining the democratic intent of 2016.

Post-Brexit, the UK inherited a complex regulatory framework from the EU. With the Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework still requiring EU standards in NI, the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill seeks to harmonize rules across Great Britain. We've consistently argued the benefits of alignment on product standards for trade consistency, SMEs, and consumer protection. Businesses need economic stability and we want to have frictionless trade with the EU, the UK's largest trading block. However, as our business spokesperson, Sarah Olney, pointed out, the Liberal Democrats are concerned about reliance on secondary legislation and the overuse of “Henry VIII” powers Other detractors warn that unmonitored executive powers and minimal parliamentary scrutiny risk undermining sovereignty and economic independence.