By Updated – MP’s voted to back the Letwin amendment, which withholds approval on a Brexit deal until the legislation required to implement the bill is passes as well.
The final count was 322-306.
Boris Johnson says he will not negotiate a delay with the EU.
Update Ends
A Brexit deal has been agreed between the UK and the EU, and it is up to Parliament to help pass it this weekend, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a tweet to his followers.
The UK is expected to leave the EU by 31st October, but it has been unclear up to this point whether a deal could be secured in time, with the potential for a ‘no-deal’ exit, if it proved unlikely.
Mr Johnson tweeted: “We’ve got a great new deal that takes back control – now Parliament should get Brexit done on Saturday, so we can move on to other priorities, like the cost of living, the NHS, violent crime and our environment.”
Other parties not convinced
The Prime Minister’s comments come hours after the DUP released a statement saying they could not back Brexit deal proposals at the present time, and that despite the Prime Minister’s remarks, their statement still remained their view.
The DUP has been supporting the Conservatives in government since 2017, after Theresa May failed to secure a majority, having called a snap election. At present, the Conservatives lack a majority in Parliament, and opposition MPs have frustrated the Prime Minister’s attempts to call an election.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn responded to the comments, saying: “From what we know, it seems the Prime Minister has negotiated a deal worse than Theresa May’s, which was overwhelmingly rejected.”
Mr Corbyn concluded: “This sell-out deal won’t bring the country together, and should be rejected. The best way to get Brexit sorted is to give the people the final say in a public vote.”
Vote on Saturday
As the Prime Minister’s comments mentioned, Parliament is expected to convene on Saturday 19th October, to vote on the deal that has been agreed with the EU. It remains unclear whether the deal will actually pass, given that Parliament voted down Mrs May’s Brexit deal repeatedly.
A general election is becoming increasingly likely in the coming months, but it is difficult to predict when it will actually occur unless MPs finally agree to the Prime Minister’s demands to dissolve Parliament.
Developments this weekend may ultimately decide how soon that election could take place – and of course the future of the UK’s relationship with the EU – if MPs finally decide to break the political deadlock one way or another.
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