LONDON - Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a potentially perilous ratification of his Brexit divorce
deal in the British parliament after the speaker refused to
allow a vote on it on Monday.
With just 10 days left until the United Kingdom is due to
leave the EU on Oct. 31, the divorce is again in disarray as
Britain's politicians argue over whether to leave with a deal,
exit without a deal or hold another referendum.
House of Commons speaker John Bercow said a vote should not
be allowed on Monday as the same issue had been discussed on
Saturday when opponents turned Johnson's big Brexit day into a
humiliation.
"In summary, today's motion is in substance the same as
Saturday's motion and the House (of Commons) has decided the
matter. Today's circumstances are in substance the same as
Saturday's circumstances," Bercow told parliament.
"My ruling is therefore that the motion will not be debated
today as it would be repetitive and disorderly to do so."
The decision by the speaker means that the government will
have to try to push on with the legislation needed for
ratification that opponents are plotting to wreck with
amendments that would destroy Johnson's deal.
Johnson was ambushed in parliament on Saturday by opponents
who demanded a change to the sequencing of the ratification of
the deal, exposing the prime minister to a law which forced him
to request a delay until Jan. 31.
Johnson sent the note to the EU unsigned - and added another
signed letter arguing against what he said was a deeply
corrosive delay. The EU has accepted the first letter as valid
but not yet given a final response on an extension. It is
preparing the steps needed to ratify the deal in the European
Parliament, however.
The British government insists the country will leave the EU
on Oct. 31. Parliament will vote in the second reading on
legislation known as the Withdrawal Agreement Bill on Tuesday,
after which amendments can be proposed to it.