UK joining 'ranks of despots' with treaty breach plan, Merkel ally says

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a cabinet meeting at the Foreign Office in London, Britain September 15, 2020. Jonathan Buckmaster/Pool via REUTERS

BERLIN (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to breach the Brexit treaty breaks Britain's tradition of upholding the rule of law and pushes it into "the ranks of despots", an ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday.

Senior conservative lawmaker Detlef Seif said the British plan to pass legislation that breaks its divorce treaty with the European Union, in a breach of international law, undermined Britain's credibility as a negotiating partner.