A session of oral questions in the UK parliament on Exiting the European Union is taking place on Thursday morning. A bill designed to stop a "No Deal" Brexit is being discussed in the House of Lords later on Thursday, and despite losing a vote on Wednesday in the Commons on whether to call a general election, 10 Downing Street says it considers today the "first day of the election campaign"
Boris Johnson lost two key votes in the House of Commons Wednesday as MPs rejected his push to hold an early election and backed legislation that would force him to ask the EU to delay Brexit.
Under the law, the prime minister would have to ask the EU for an extension to January 31, unless he has a deal approved by parliament beforehand on the terms of the exit.
While there were fears that Conservative peers in the House of Lords, where there are no time limits on debates, could filibuster, parliament's upper house confirmed that it would not delay the bill.
Johnson responded by asking parliament for a general election, for which he needed to win the backing of at least 434 lawmakers, but only 298 voted in favour and 56 against.
The opposition Labour Party instructed its lawmakers to abstain on the vote.
"This is the first time in history that the opposition has voted to show confidence in Her Majesty's government," Johnson said in a short speech after the vote.
"I can only speculate as to the reasons behind his hesitation, the obvious conclusion is I'm afraid that he does not think he will win."
Earlier on Wednesday, 327 MPs voted in favour of the bill to delay Brexit, while 299 voted against.
"There must now be an election on October 15," Johnson said in response to this vote.
Boris Johnson said the bill would effectively end the negotiations and hand control to the UK's European partners. "I refuse to do this," he insisted.
"If I am still prime minister after Tuesday the 15th of October then we will leave on the 31st of October with, I hope, a much better deal," Johnson told parliament
Corbyn said Wednesday's offer of an election was one containing "the poison of a no-deal". "Let this bill pass and gain royal assent, then we will back an election," he said.
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What happened during the debate of the bill to extend Brexit?
Earlier on Wednesday, Hilary Benn, who proposed the legislation, presented it to MPs. A copy of it was published on his Twitter account.
During the debate, Benn gave way many times to cross-bench concerns, and one of the main sticking points regarding the extension of Article 50 was articulated by Dr Caroline Johnson.
The member for Sleaford and North Hykeham suggested that "if the EU came back and offered us a ten-year extension ... it would then be a choice for this house between a ten-year extension and a no-deal he wishes to avoid."
Benn rejected this notion, maintaining that parliament's view will have to be consulted.
Ex-chancellor Philip Hammond rejected claims that supporters of Benn's bill were cutting the legs of the government in negotiations with the EU "because there are no negotiations".
Meanwhile, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the bill would give the EU complete control of outcomes of the talks.
How the motion for a general election was tabled
"I don't want an election but if MPs vote tomorrow to stop negotiations and to compel another pointless delay to Brexit potentially for years then that will be the only way to resolve this," Johnson said immediately after the vote on Tuesday.
A spokesman from Johnson's office said the Tory MPs who voted in favour of the move to try and stop a no-deal Brexit will be expelled from the party. Prominent figures include Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Britain's World War Two leader Winston Churchill, and two former finance ministers - Philip Hammond and Kenneth Clarke.
Sir Oliver Letwin said the motion was being put forth because the government had not put forward any new proposals on Brexit; it had shut down parliament; it would consider a no-deal Brexit, and that no-deal would be a serious threat to the UK.
Throughout the debate, Johnson's opponents have argued that nothing can justify the risk of a 'no-deal' Brexit that would cut economic ties overnight with Britain's biggest export market and inevitably bring huge economic disruption.
Johnson cast the challenge as an attempt to force Britain to surrender to the EU just as he hopes to secure concessions on the terms of the divorce, helped by the threat to walk out without one. Ahead of the vote, he said would never accept another delay to Brexit beyond October 31.
Read more
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- Boris Johnson suspends parliament: Can Brexit still be stopped?
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