LOSER SATURDAY
Prime Minister fails to get his Brexit deal through Parliament as opposition and ex-Tories vote for new amendment
A humiliated Boris Johnson dramatically failed to get his new Brexit deal through Parliament yesterday after being thwarted by a Tory colleague.
At a historic Saturday sitting of the House of Commons, he was forced to abandon a vote on his plan after an amendment from Sir Oliver Letwin won the support of MPs.
It was designed to force the Prime Minister to write to the EU and ask for a Brexit extension – despite his previous insistence he would rather be “dead in a ditch”.
The, at times, angry and emotional session – the first weekend sitting
since the invasion of thee Falklands in 1982 – took place as the roars of hundreds of thousands of pro- EU campaigners on the streets of London on echoed through the Houses ses of Parliament.
MPs voted by 322 to 306 in favour of withholding ing approval of Johnson’s on’s deal until legislationn to implement it was in place. ace.
The effect was to triggerr the Benn Act, which requiredd the PM to seek a Brexit extension nsion by 11pm last night shoulduld he still not have an agreed deal.
But a defiant Johnson refused efused to back down, provokingng fury from opposition bencheses as he insisted he would not negotiate gotiate a fresh delay with the EU despite losing the key Commonss vote.
Amid noisy scenes, Johnson insisted he was not “dauntedunted or dismayed” and remaineddcommittedcommitted to taking Britain out by October 31.
He said: “I will not negotiate a delay with the EU, neither does the law compel me to do so.”
At a Westminster br ief ing af terwards, the PM’s of f icial spokesman would only say that “governments comply with the
law”. But it was unclear how the Government could possibly do that without writing to EU leaders.
It had been thought Johnson would send the legally required letter, before sending a second one effectively asking for the first to be ignored.
His refusal to confirm even that is likely to result in further court
action. During a debate on Johnson’s proposals, furious SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford accused Johnson of “totally and utterly” shafting Scotland.
He told the Commons: “An equal partner within the Union, a nation within the European Union – the broken promises from 2014 from this Government and the Better Together campaign could not be
more mo stark then they are today. Scotland Sc has been totally and utterly ut shafted by this Prime Minister M and this Tor y Government.” G Blackford later told the SundayS Mail: “Boris Johnson hash been defeated on his appalling deal. The Prime Minister must now obey the law and secure an extension – or we’ll see him in court.
“Scot land has been completelycompl ignored and shafted throughoutthroug the Brexit process.
“DespiteDesp voting overwhelmingly to remain,remain the Tories are trying to drag ususoutooutof the EU on the hardest terms, with a deal that would take us out of the single market and customs union, put us at a competitive disadvantage and leave us as the only part of the UK with a raw deal and no say.
“It is vital that the opposition parties work together to ensure this Prime Minister secures an extension
and takes No Deal off the table. Whatever happens now, it is clear the only way to protect Scotland’s interests is to become an equal and independent European country – and the people of Scotland must have that choice.”
As he swept into Parliament past thousands of protesters early yesterday, Johnson would have been hoping for a Churchi l l ian moment of glory. Just like his idol, the PM must have thought he had achieved a seemingly impossible victory in Europe by striking a new and improved Brexit deal.
Had it then passed through the House of Commons, even his most ardent detractors would have had to admit that he had pulled off one of the most significant political coups since World War II by solving the political conundrum that had undermined British politics for more than three years.
But, in the end, he was forced back to Downing Street empty- handed after being outsmarted by fellow Conservative Letwin.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the defeat represented an “emphatic” rejection of the PM’s strategy and urged him to comply with the law.
The DUP, whose backing of the Letwin amendment was crucial but not ultimately decisive, said the delay would allow for further scrutiny of the agreement, while demanding the “constitutional and economic” integrity of the UK was preserved.
Letwin, meanwhile, said the move meant the UK would not “crash out” of the EU on October 31 without a deal if the necessary legislation was held up or derailed.
Lib Dems leader Jo Swinson said: “The fight to stop Brexit continues and the Liberal Democrats wi l l
keep working for a People’s Vote so the people can have the final say.”
Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Government was planning to give MPs a fresh chance to have a “meaningful vote” on the deal hammered out by Johnson with Brussels on Monday.
The European Commission’s chief spokeswoman Mina Andreeva urged the Government “to inform us about the next steps as soon as possible”.
The Government was consigned to defeat after the 10 MPs of Johnson’s former allies, the DUP, joined the other opposition parties in voting for the amendment.
The party is furious about the proposed customs arrangements for Northern Ireland, which would see checks on goods coming from the rest of the UK. Ten former Conservative MPs who now sit as independents, including former cabinet ministers Ken Clarke, Phi lip Hammond and Amber Rudd, also backed the amendment.
In contrast, just six Labour rebels voted against it.
Fol lowing the vote, Johnson added: “I hope that the honourable members, faced with a choice of our new deal for the UK and the European Union, wil l change their minds because it was pretty close today.
“I hope that they will change their minds and support this deal in overwhelming numbers.”