Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal faces first of three crucial days
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal will face its first parliamentary hurdle today with the PM facing a tough battle to deliver his promise to take the UK out of the EU by 31 October.
Johnson is attempting to push through the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which was published last night, in just three days.
Read more: Timetable vote threatens to derail PM’s Halloween Brexit pledge
MPs are set to begin debating the PM’s Brexit deal at 12.30pm today with a second reading vote expected at 7pm.
This will be followed by a programme motion vote – a vote on the government’s accelerated timetable which envisages the Bill reaching the House of Lords by Friday.
Last night Ken Clarke – who has said he will vote for Johnson’s Brexit deal – rubbished the government’s insistence on “dashing for this completely silly and irrelevant date”.
Instead he called for “some proper time for debate” on the Brexit deal.
“Two-and-a-bit days of ordinary parliamentary hours is plainly quite insufficient,” he added.
Sources told City PM they were reasonably confident they had the numbers to pass the bill itself.
But government whips are said to be concerned about losing the timetable, making it all but impossible for Johnson to secure his Halloween Brexit promise.
Read more: Government warns any changes to Brexit bill may risk ratification
Speaking last night, Johnson said: “We have negotiated a new deal so that we can leave without disruption and provide a framework for a new relationship based on free trade and friendly cooperation. We are leaving the European Union but we will always be European.
“I hope parliament today votes to take back control for itself and the British people and the country can start to focus on the cost of living, the NHS, and conserving our environment. The public doesn’t want any more delays, neither do other European leaders and neither do I. Let’s get Brexit done on 31 October and move on.”