Theresa May to set out plans to reclaim legislative sovereignty while keeping EU regulations

UK Prime Minister Theresa May will set out how her government plans to restore sovereignty over Britain's laws on Thursday, publishing a detailed paper on ending "the supremacy of EU lawmakers".

A day after the British leader is due to launch formal divorce negotiations with the European Union by triggering Article 50 of the bloc's Lisbon Treaty, May's government will publish a formal policy document on its "Great Repeal Bill".

“As Britain leaves the European Union, and we forge a new role for ourselves in the world, the strength and stability of our union will become even more important,” May will say in the speech, according to extracts released by her office. “When this great union of nations - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - sets its mind on something and works together with determination, we are an unstoppable force.”

The repeal Bill will convert EU law into British law, a process the government hopes will ensure continuity for businesses, workers and trade, according to Reuters news agency. The Bill will include powers for ministers to change regulations as they’re converted to UK statutes, which the government says is essential to remove references to European institutions and smooth the transition.

However some experts say that the process could be more complicated than it sounds.

Some companies have expressed fears that an expected two years of talks after the triggering of Article 50 could easily get bogged down by disputes and that the country will crash out of the EU in a so-called hard Brexit with little in place to ensure to ensure there is no disruption to markets and trade.

Officials close to the Brexit negotiations have said that the UK would have little choice but to take part in some EU agencies after 2019, the scheduled date for Britain’s departure from the bloc, despite pressure from some Brexiters for a clean break.

“We simply don’t have the expertise in some areas and wouldn’t have the time to start up new agencies from scratch,” said one.

They argue that the continued participation in EU agencies would at the very least be required for a transition period, increasing the pressure on May to secure a negotiated deal.

Research by the House of Commons library suggests that ministers could import up to 19,000 EU rules and regulations into the British statute book. The CBI has estimated that Britain may need to set up domestic versions of as many as 34 EU regulatory agencies, covering areas such as agriculture, energy, transport and communications.