LONDON, Oct 20, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – EU leaders were on Sunday considering a
request by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to delay Britain’s departure from the
bloc, which he was forced to make after MPs refused to back his Brexit deal.
Johnson has pinned his premiership on getting Britain out of the European
Union on October 31, more than three years after the 2016 referendum vote for
Brexit.
But the House of Commons on Saturday refused to support a divorce deal he
struck with Brussels last week, triggering a law demanding he ask to delay
Brexit to avoid the risk of a damaging “no deal” exit.
The Conservative leader duly sent a letter to European Council President
Donald Tusk late Saturday asking for the required three-month delay — but
did not sign it.
He sent a second letter — signed — warning that “a further extension
would damage the interests of the UK and our EU partners”.
A defiant Johnson had earlier told MPs: “I will not negotiate a delay with
the EU.”
Tusk said he would begin consulting EU leaders “on how to react” — a
process one diplomat said could take a few days.
Johnson has already spoken to the leaders of France, Germany and the
Netherlands to press his case — and Paris warned Saturday that a Brexit
delay was “in nobody’s interest”.
– Votes loom next week –
In the meantime, Johnson will bring forward legislation that he hopes would
nevertheless allow Brexit on October 31.
MPs voted to withhold approval for his divorce deal unless and until the
legislation required to ratify the treaty is passed through parliament.
The government is seeking a new vote on its deal on Monday, although this
may fall foul of parliamentary procedure.
If it introduces the treaty implementation bill on Monday, however, MPs
could be called to vote as early as Tuesday.
Johnson wrote to Tusk that he was “confident” he could get it through
before the of the month.
However, the main opposition Labour Party has condemned the deal as a
“sell-out”, while Johnson’s Northern Irish allies are opposed to its
arrangements for the province.
– ‘House of Fools’ –
Johnson sent the letter to Brussels after a day of high drama in the
Commons, which staged its first Saturday sitting in 37 years to debate his
Brexit deal.
He urged MPs to end years of uncertainty that has weighed on the economy
and divided the nation — but they refused, warning his deal would leave
Britain worse off.
“Why won’t they let us leave?” lamented the Brexit-backing Sunday Express
newspaper.
The Mail on Sunday led with the headline “The House of Fools”, warning MPs
had “subjected us to yet more agonising delay”.
The Brexit date has already been pushed back twice, to the fury of those
who wanted to chart their own course and abandon the European project after
nearly 50 years.
But there was also jubilation at the vote among tens of thousands of
protesters who gathered outside parliament on Saturday to demand a new
referendum to reverse Brexit.
“That’s really good, that’s one step away from Brexit,” demonstrator Philip
Dobson told AFP.
“Reject Brexit”, “Put It To The People” and “Stop This Madness” read some
of the placards at the mass march, where many protesters also waved EU flags.
– No deal fears –
Johnson took office in July vowing to leave the EU on October 31 come what
may.
But MPs fearful of the risks of a “no deal” departure sought to bind his
hands, with a law demanding he delay Brexit if he failed to get an agreement
approved by October 19.
The amendment passed Saturday is designed specifically to avoid this
scenario.
MPs had feared they might pass the Brexit deal but then get bogged down
with the laws needed to implement it, risking Britain accidentally crashing
out of the EU at the end of the month.