British Parliament to vote on Brexit legislation
The British Parliament will vote today on Brexit legislation after it withheld approval of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s proposal by 322 votes to 306 on Saturday.
The UK requires legislation to implement the withdrawal agreement—the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB)—and lawmakers on Saturday essentially delayed their approval by demanding this implementing legislation. The government introduced the WAB yesterday and will seek parliament’s support for it today.
Despite managing to get EU approval for his withdrawal agreement, Johnson was forced to request a formal extension from the EU on Saturday after failing to get parliamentary backing. While the PM did request an extension, he has urged the EU not to grant it, citing the damage it will cause to the UK-EU relationship. European Council President Donald Tusk formally accepted the extension request.
If the House of Commons still rejects the Withdrawal Agreement today, Brexit will be delayed until January 31, and the EU is likely to agree to it. In this scenario, the government can be expected to trigger a general election after October 31.
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