With just over a week before Britain is due to leave the EU, Johnson is scrambling to get his deal through parliament, which has put up a series of hurdles for the prime minister to meet his Oct. 31 deadline to try to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
After the parliamentary speaker ruled out a straight ‘yes or no’ vote on the deal itself on Monday, Johnson is now looking to pass the legislation implementing the agreement through parliament as quickly as possible.
More than three years after Britain voted to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, the future of Brexit is as uncertain as ever, with a divided country, and parliament, still debating when, how and even whether it should happen.
In a final appeal to lawmakers before a vote on the first stages of his Withdrawal Agreement Bill, Johnson said he had secured a new deal so Britain could move on and discuss issues such as its health service, education and the cost of living.
“I hope parliament today votes to take back control for itself,” Johnson said in a statement before Tuesday’s votes.
“The public doesn’t want any more delays, neither do other European leaders and neither do I. Let’s get Brexit done on 31 October and move on.”
