BORIS Johnson’s Brexit deal hopes have been sunk tonight after rebellious MPs wrecked his timetable motion.
They voted to push ahead with the next stage of the PM’s Bill this evening, but said they were unhappy with his plan to fast-track it in just three days.
MPs claimed they wanted more time to debate our EU exit, despite debating it for more than three years.
The PM put his deal on ice today and said he would wait to see what the EU would do next.
OVER TO EU
All eyes are now on Brussels for whether they will offer a Brexit extension – and if they do, for now long.
The PM could be forced into accepting a delay of a few extra days – that way he can carry on putting his agreement through the House of Commons.
EU sources said tonight the bloc planned to stick to the proposed January 31 extension date as dictated in the Benn Act by Boris’ extension letter at the weekend.
The bloc say they don’t want to be dragged into the political mess or be accused of meddling in British politics.
If Boris wants a shorter extension he could have to ask for it himself, but the PM has previously said he will not enter negotiations in any way.
ELECTION CALL
Boris said earlier he would go for an election if he is forced into breaking his promise of leaving on October 31, but didn’t mention that after his loss this evening.
Jeremy Corbyn will back one as soon as an extension is secured, he has said.
Boris could go to the country to gather support for his deal and win more Tory MPs to put in the Commons to ram the Bill through.
That could take a few months, meaning he’ll be unable to take us out of the EU by Halloween.
PUSH THE BILL THROUGH LATER
However, if the PM succeeds with that Brexit plans, the fun doesn’t stop there.
The committee stage will start in the House, where he will allow MPs to look at every single line of the 100-page bill.
Boris will then attempt to bat back a series of wrecking amendments from Labour, Lib Dem and SNP MPs.
They will try and force him into watering down his Brexit planswith a second referendum,or a customs union.
Many MPs are also unhappy about the role of Parliament in the next stage of Brexit – trade talks with the EU.
They want a say in what a future deal will look like and the right to vote on it, and are arguing for changes on that too.
If Boris can navigate through all of these issues he will then need the votes of a fragile coalition of Labour, Independent and Tory MPs to rubber stamp it on Thursday night in the bill’s third reading.
No10 believe they do have the numbers to do this, but it will depend if any of the changes manage to worm their way through.
If Boris wins, he will be able to breathe a small sigh of a relief.
The action then zooms over to the House of Lords – which is packed with peers who support remaining in the bloc – who will likely try and change it AGAIN.
Ministers can slap them down up to three times in an obscure Parliamentary process called ping-pong.
If the PM manages to bat them all back (there’s a chance he may be forced to accept some if the Commons wants them) then the Bill will get Royal Assent and Brexit is on track to leave the EU on October 31.
