Commons speaker deals new blow to Boris’s Brexit plan
Speaker John Bercow rules out vote; EU says it’s considering a letter sent by PM Johnson requesting a Brexit delay
LONDON: PM Boris Johnson’s plan to lead Britain out of the EU hit another roadblock on Monday when the House of Commons Speaker rejected his attempt to hold a new vote of lawmakers on his Brexit deal. Speaker John Bercow ruled that allowing the vote again would go against the long-standing convention stipulating that the same motion that has been considered previously by the House cannot be brought again in the same session.
With just 10 days to go until the UK is due to leave the bloc on October 31, Johnson’s government was seeking a “straight up-and-down vote” on the agreement he struck last week with the 27 other EU nations.
LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered another setback on Monday when the House of Commons speaker refused permission to allow another vote on the Brexit agreement he reached with Brussels on last Thursday, on the ground that it would be repetitive.
Speaker John Bercow ruled much to the chagrin of the ruling benches that allowing the vote again would go against the longstanding convention stipulating that the same motion that has been considered previously by the House cannot be brought again in the same session.
He said: “Today’s motion is in substance the same as Saturday’s motion, and the house has decided the matter. Today’s circumstances are in substance the same as Saturday’s circumstances. The motion will not be debated today, as it would be repetitive and disorderly to do so.”
The House had debated the agreement in the special session on Saturday and voted for an amendment that forced the government to seek a delay to the October 31 Brexit date. Refusing the permission provoked charges of bias against the speaker.
The Johnson government accused critics of resorting to “procedural tricks” in parliament to ensure that Brexit does not happen on October 31. Due to the short time remaining before the Brexit date, the government faces a challenge to get required legislation passed.
Under the amendment passed on Saturday, the agreement cannot come into force until the legislation – called the Withdrawal Agreement Bill – is passed. The voluminous bill was expected to be published on Monday evening. The bill will be subject to amendments, debates and votes in both houses of parliament.
The government hopes to complete the process before October 31, with EU leaders awaiting the outcome before deciding on the request to delay the Brexit date.
The bill’s purpose is to turn the withdrawal agreement reached by Johnson last week into UK law and to give the government permission to ratify it. The agreement sets out the terms on which the UK will leave the EU.
On Monday, Scotland’s highest court delayed a decision on whether Johnson fully complied with a law when he sent two contradictory letters to Brussels on Saturday to seek an extension to the Brexit date, one signed and the other unsigned.
The government argued in the court of session that legal obligations were fulfilled. Judges said the case should be continued until it was clear that the obligations under the legislation had been “complied with in full”.
Meanwhile, the EU accepted the letter sent by Johnson that requested a Brexit delay and was considering it. “This was sent in compliance with section 1 of the Benn Act,” Brexit secretary Steve Barclay said. “The president of the European Council has accepted the request as valid and indicated he is considering it and consulting with member states.”