Sir Keir Starmer is planning legislation to allow the UK to adopt new EU laws without Parliament having to hold a full vote each time.
The measure is meant to make it easier for the UK to “dynamically” align with future rules required to deliver new deals in areas like food standards.
The government says MPs and peers will retain “a role” in scrutinising new rules adopted under the plan.
But the plans have provoked strong opposition from the Conservatives and Reform UK.
The new legislation, expected later this year, would give ministers a fast-track route for introducing draft laws to align with future European standards designed to ensure a single market in the trade of goods and services.
The new powers would apply to agreements they are planning with the EU on food standards, carbon pricing for industry and electricity trading.
New rules would be introduced as “secondary” legislation, which receives less scrutiny and gives MPs a more limited role in approving it.
This echoes the process that was followed before Brexit – when the government adopted hundreds of such laws each year to fulfil EU legal obligations.
