Johnson defeated in face of Brexit postponement text

Johnson defeated in face of Brexit postponement text
September 6, 2019, 7:59 am

Having lost its majority in the British House of Commons and failed to call early legislative elections, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed on Thursday morning not to block a legislative text demanding a new postponement of the UK exit date from the European Union.

The Labor Party's parliamentary bloc, the largest opposition party, tweeted that Johnson's government had "pledged" to allow the text to "pass through all stages" in the House of Lords on Thursday and Friday, and "to return Monday to the House of Commons for other possible amendments."

Opponents of no-deal Brexit were particularly concerned that Johnson's allies would try to slow the text's progress by prolonging the debate.

Any request for a new postponement should be approved by all 27 EU Member States.

The House of Commons voted on Wednesday night against a memorandum put forward by the Prime Minister for early legislative elections on 15 October, after which he hopes to obtain a new coherent majority, allowing him to move freely before the European summit to be held on 17 and 18 October in Brussels.

The memorandum won the support of 298 deputies, less than a two-thirds majority, which would allow it to be adopted in the House of Commons.

Labor MPs abstained in the vote. Johnson said during a heated debate in the House of Commons that Labor leader Jeremy Corbin "will enter the democratic history of our country as the first opposition leader to refuse to participate in elections."

Above all, the Labor opposition wants to make sure that the proposed law against no-deal Brexit will be adopted, which would remove the specter of a harsh separation with the EU.

However, the Labor Party could submit a no-confidence motion to bring down the Johnson government.

Hours earlier, lawmakers torpedoed Johnson's plans to leave the European Union on October 31 with or without an agreement, by a 28-member passage of a bill requiring Johnson to request a three-month postponement of Brexit, unless an agreement regulating divorce between London and Brussels is reached by then.

On Tuesday, the British prime minister lost an absolute majority in the House of Commons, with one Conservative deputy defecting and 21 others excluded from the party, after they voted with the opposition to put pressure on Johnson.

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