What time is the Brexit deal vote tonight on Boris Johnsons Withdrawal Agreement Bill?

0
178

BORIS Johnson will have yet another crack at getting his Brexit bill through Parliament today.

Here’s what we know about when the Brexit vote will be and what will happen if it passes.

Boris Johnson is trying once again to get his Brexit bill through the House of Commons

What time will the vote be today?

The crunch second reading of Boris Johnson‘s Withdrawal Agreement will take place at 7pm tonight.

In a landmark moment, MPs will vote for the first time on the new law that will take Britain out of the EU, with the new agreement in place.

The Government announced a breakneck timetable of just three days for the key bill to clear all its Commons stages.

The PM issued a plea to all MPs saying: Lets get Brexit done on October 31 and move on.

But the Withdrawal Agreement Bill faces potential pitfalls to stop it from clearing Parliament in time for theexit deadline of October 31.

What happens if it passes?

If the bill passes the committee stage will get underway just 2o minutes later and then run right the way through Wednesday until around 1am Thursday morning.

Then at 7.30pm on Thursday the bill will get its third reading which must pass for it to succeed.

If the bill does manage to pass the Commons for a third time it will be kicked upstairs to be debated in the House of Lords from Friday to Monday.

In the unlikely event that all goes to plan, that should allow Boris Johnson to get his deal through by the Halloween deadline.

The minority parties have held frantic talks with Jeremy Corbyns senior lieutenants on how best to sabotage the bill

How likely is it to pass?

Senior Lib Dem, SNP and even DUP MPs were in frantic talks withJeremy Corbyns senior lieutenants on how best to sabotage the bill.

A senior Downing Street source familiar with the latest numbers tally told The Sun that voting on it Tuesday and Wednesday will be very tight.

There were worries among Tory whips that they could lose the programme motion vote.

It will be formally opposed by every other party including the Governments former allies, the DUP leaving ministers having to rely on as many as 20 pro-Brexit Labour or independent MPs to bail them out.

The Sun can reveal the SNP as well as Lib Dems are actively considering switching their long-standing position on acustoms union.

Jo Swinson’s Lib Dems are actively considering switching their long-standing position on a customs union

That would leave the Government needing around 15 Labour MPs and independents to vote with ministers, as only four rebel ex-Tories are expected to back the plan.

Our analysis of MPs thinking revealed the third option, a second referendum, was falling short.

Labour Party insiders said 35 of its MPs will defy Mr Corbyns three-line whip and vote against any new nationwide poll.

Around ten more are expected to abstain on it.

Four of the sacked Tory rebels are expected to join at least one of the votes designed to wreck Brexit plans.

What is in the bill?

Details buried in the 110-page bill document is riddled with potential hurdles for the Government.

It restricts ministers to negotiating a future partnership with the EU based strictly on the Political Declaration and it must also secure the approval of its negotiating mandate from MPs before entering talks with Brussels.

It paves the way for MPs to force the Government to change tack and back a closer partnership with the EU after we have left on October 31 – such as a Customs Union.

The bill would also prevent MPs from forcing the Government seeking an extension to the transition period when it ends in December 2020.

But the powerful group of ex-Tory rebels are expected to demand the Government caves on this and grant MPs a guaranteed vote on whether to extend the transition as a price of their support in tonights crunch votes.