Today’s Brexit vote fell short, but it’s not dead yet.
British MPs will take up another Brexit vote on Monday provided it follows parliamentary rules, but it won’t pass in time to avoid the requirement in law to request an Article 50 extension for withdrawal from the European Union.
Johnson brought forward a new deal made with the EU earlier this week. It was believed that he had the votes for the deal to pass, but a last minute Letwin Amendment stirred things up. The Amendment passed 320-306 despite the urging of former Prime Minister Theresa May.
The Letwin Amendment, proposed by former Conservative Jeremy Letwin, requires the Government to pass enabling legislation before a Brexit deal can be ratified. It was proposed to prevent a ‘no deal’ Brexit, which is essentially what the people of the UK voted for in their 2016 referendum.
Jeremy Letwin was expelled from the Conservative party for supporting the Benn Act which passed last month. The Benn Act requires the Government to request the article 50 extension by Saturday should a deal not be ratified by the House.
“Further delay will be bad for this country.”
As required by the Benn Act, Boris Johnson sent a letter requesting an Article 50 extension to the EU Council President. But, he sent an unsigned photocopy of the letter that was required, along with a second letter that asked the EU not approve the extension.
If the extension is approved, the UK will remain in the EU until January 31 pending a deal.
Johnson slammed the extension in Parliament as “deeply corrosive,” and said “I will not negotiate a delay with the EU, and neither does the law compel me to do so.”
Will Brexit Ever Happen?
In 2016 the British people voted to leave the European Union, and for the three plus years since their government has failed to enact their wishes.
If Johnson’s Deal with the EU is approved by the UK House of Commons on Monday, Parliament will have until October 31 to approve all the required legislation for the deal to be lawful, unless the EU grants the extension to January 31. The EU has stated they won’t decide on the extension until Tuesday, likely waiting to see what happens in the UK on Monday.
The unlikely scenario of Johnson’s deal failing and the EU denying the extension would be the only probably way a ‘no-deal’ Brexit could happen, where the UK can leave the EU without terms dictated by the Union they’re trying to leave.
A second referendum is being demanded by the ‘remainers.’ Sounds kind of like the Democrats in America who still won’t accept the 2016 election results.