The  United Kingdom Internal Market Bill (IMB) currently before the UK Parliament is quite a deceptively named piece of legislation as it in fact admits the fact of four emerging future internal markets comprising the United Kingdom. One aim is to give the UK sovereign status in Free Trade negotiations over a devolving Union.

This is in part a consequence of the Northern Ireland Protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement, certainly, but it is also a necessary regulatory mechanism now that the United Kingdom is no longer within the European Union and more specifically that of the EU Internal Market.

The Bill recognises the fact that there are now four devolved nations and four potentially differing jurisdictions within the United Kingdom, namely Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland. Whilst presently more or less integrated it is clear that regional differences will give rise to differing standards of regulation in each one. The Bill is intended to provide a regulatory framework for that economic future.

That therefore excluders the Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man, which is a separate economy with a VAT system integrated into that of the United Kingdom, and those of the Bailiwicks of Jersey and of Guernsey, who have only comparatively recently introduced systems of a VAT like tax the GST.

However each of those systems have a fiscal or customs area implicit it in them, and it is clear that whilst the regulations as to transactions in goods with the United Kingdom are likely to remain similar in the immediate, undertakings in these face risk of changes as to trading with the four economies within the UK Internal Market as those markets start to evolve and potentially devolve.

Services and rights of establishment and professional qualifications are also addressed in the IMB

Please see as short summary on the resources page: