UK PM faces questions in Parliament; Johnson and Corbyn face each other. Watch video to know more.

UK PM faces questions in Parliament; Johnson and Corbyn face each other

There is another vote on Boris Johnson's Brexit deal refused. Now, the UK speaker also refused to allow the vote for the Brexit deal. Watch this video to know more.

Brexit Deal: UK speaker refuses to allow the Brexit vote

British PM Johnson told the Parliament on Tuesday that he will withdraw the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-brexit-vote-eu-says-done-all-in-our-power-for-orderly-departure-257542"> Brexit deal and call for general elections </a>if the Parliament does not pass the government's timetable.

Johnson has set October 31 as the deadline to pull Britain out of the European Union as British lawmakers vote today on two crucial Brexit bills, if the lawmakers fail to pass any of the bill it would be a huge setback for Conservative prime minister who has promised to take his country out of the 28-nation European body.

“I will in no way allow months more of this. If parliament refuses to allow Brexit to happen and instead gets its way and decides to delay everything until January or possibly longer, in no circumstances can the government continue. And with great regret, I must say the bill will have to be pulled and we will have to go forward to a general election,” Johnson told British parliamentarians.

Johnson's government hopes to get the legislation through Britain's lower house the House of Commons by the end of Thursday.

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"I believe that if we do this deal, if we pass this deal and the legislation that enables it, we can turn the page and allow this parliament and this country to begin to heal and unite," he said.

Meanwhile, Jean-Claude Juncker told the European Parliament that everything had been done to make sure UK's departure is "orderly" as UK lawmakers prepared to vote today on the 115-page Withdrawal Agreement Bill and then vote on the government's extremely tight timetable for approving the legislation.

In his speech in Parliament, Johnson said that Brexit can be done which could also "de-escalate those no-deal preparations".

"We can get Brexit done and move our country on and we can de-escalate those no-deal preparations immediately and turn them off next week and instead concentrate on the great enterprise of building a new relationship of the closest cooperation and friendship, as I said on Saturday, with our European neighbour." 
&nbsp;

British PM Johnson told the Parliament on Tuesday that he will withdraw the Brexit deal and call for general elections if the Parliament does not pass the government's timetable.

British PM Johnson told the Parliament on Tuesday that he will withdraw the Brexit deal and call for general elections if the Parliament does not pass the government's timetable. Johnson has set October 31 as the deadline to pull Britain out of the European Union as British lawmakers vote today on two crucial Brexit bills, if the lawmakers fail to pass any of the bill it would be a huge setback for Conservative prime minister who has promised to take his country out of the 28-nation European body. “I will in no way allow months more of this. If parliament refuses to allow Brexit to happen and instead gets its way and decides to delay everything until January or possibly longer, in no circumstances can the government continue. And with great regret, I must say the bill will have to be pulled and we will have to go forward to a general election,” Johnson told British parliamentarians. Johnson's government hopes to get the legislation through Britain's lower house the House of Commons by the end of Thursday. Watch Video: "I believe that if we do this deal, if we pass this deal and the legislation that enables it, we can turn the page and allow this parliament and this country to begin to heal and unite," he said. Meanwhile, Jean-Claude Juncker told the European Parliament that everything had been done to make sure UK's departure is "orderly" as UK lawmakers prepared to vote today on the 115-page Withdrawal Agreement Bill and then vote on the government's extremely tight timetable for approving the legislation. In his speech in Parliament, Johnson said that Brexit can be done which could also "de-escalate those no-deal preparations". "We can get Brexit done and move our country on and we can de-escalate those no-deal preparations immediately and turn them off next week and instead concentrate on the great enterprise of building a new relationship of the closest cooperation and friendship, as I said on Saturday, with our European neighbour."

Will go for general elections if Parliament refuses to allow Brexit to happen: Johnson

The British pound fell Tuesday awaiting key Brexit votes on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-prime-minister-boris-johnson-prepares-fresh-brexit-push-257303"> withdrawal agreement bill</a>.

Europe and Asian stock markets rose on growing expectations that China and the United States will sign a partial trade deal next month, dealers said.

Sterling fell further from Monday's five-month peaks, struck after parliament forced Johnson to request <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-sends-unsigned-letter-seeking-brexit-delay-256989">another extension</a> to Britain's scheduled exit from the European Union.

The pound switched hands at $1.2936 Tuesday, down from $1.2960 late in New York on Monday.

Sterling had earlier Monday spiked $1.3013, the highest level since May.&nbsp;

Johnson published his hotly-awaited withdrawal agreement bill (WAB) late on Monday, with just over a week to go until Brexit on October 31.

"The Brexit saga rumbles on today as MPs debate and vote on the WAB in what is likely to be the first of a few excruciating and long sessions in parliament," said Oanda analyst Craig Erlam.

Johnson faces two crucial Brexit votes that could decide if he still has a reasonable shot at securing his EU divorce by next week's deadline.

Firstly, the Conservative leader hopes parliament gives initial support to a Brexit bill that translates the revised withdrawal agreement he struck with Brussels last week into UK law.

Secondly, he also hopes the lower House of Commons will vote in favour of a speedy timescale to pass the entire legislation in just three days.

The rapid timetable, a big ask for a 110-page text designed to unwind 46 years of intricate EU-UK ties,&nbsp;has sparked outcry from opposition lawmakers.

"The main events of the day will likely come this evening, after the stock market here in London has closed, with parliament set for two key votes on Brexit," said XTB analyst David Cheetham.

Even if the withdrawal bill "passes there’s a fair chance that a vote on the timetable shortly afterwards will fail.

"Several MPs have already voiced their displeasure at the lack of time to scrutinise the bill," he added.

At the same time, Johnson has been forced by parliament to request a three-month extension that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/eu-considers-brexit-extension-boris-johnson-battles-to-save-deal-257370">European leaders will consider</a> once they get a clearer picture of this week's parliamentary votes.

Elsewhere Tuesday, global stock markets gained on modest gains on easing trade war concerns.

US President Donald Trump reinforced hopes Monday that he and Xi Jinping will be able to put pen to paper on a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-phase-1-china-trade-pact-on-track-for-november-257404"> mini pact</a>, saying China had already started promised purchases of farm goods, and that the first part of a wider commitment was almost complete.

"We'll be able to, we think, sign a completed document with China on phase one," Trump said at the White House, adding they would then move on to the next phases.

Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said efforts were being made for it to be ready when the leaders meet at the APEC summit next month in Chile.

Trump's economics adviser Larry Kudlow indicated tariffs planned to go into effect in December could be cancelled if the talks go well.

The British pound fell Tuesday awaiting key Brexit votes on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's withdrawal agreement bill. Europe and Asian stock markets rose on growing expectations that China and the United States will sign a partial trade deal next month, dealers said.

The British pound fell Tuesday awaiting key Brexit votes on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's withdrawal agreement bill. Europe and Asian stock markets rose on growing expectations that China and the United States will sign a partial trade deal next month, dealers said. Sterling fell further from Monday's five-month peaks, struck after parliament forced Johnson to request another extension to Britain's scheduled exit from the European Union. The pound switched hands at $1.2936 Tuesday, down from $1.2960 late in New York on Monday. Sterling had earlier Monday spiked $1.3013, the highest level since May. Johnson published his hotly-awaited withdrawal agreement bill (WAB) late on Monday, with just over a week to go until Brexit on October 31. "The Brexit saga rumbles on today as MPs debate and vote on the WAB in what is likely to be the first of a few excruciating and long sessions in parliament," said Oanda analyst Craig Erlam. Johnson faces two crucial Brexit votes that could decide if he still has a reasonable shot at securing his EU divorce by next week's deadline. Firstly, the Conservative leader hopes parliament gives initial support to a Brexit bill that translates the revised withdrawal agreement he struck with Brussels last week into UK law. Secondly, he also hopes the lower House of Commons will vote in favour of a speedy timescale to pass the entire legislation in just three days. The rapid timetable, a big ask for a 110-page text designed to unwind 46 years of intricate EU-UK ties, has sparked outcry from opposition lawmakers. "The main events of the day will likely come this evening, after the stock market here in London has closed, with parliament set for two key votes on Brexit," said XTB analyst David Cheetham. Even if the withdrawal bill "passes there’s a fair chance that a vote on the timetable shortly afterwards will fail. "Several MPs have already voiced their displeasure at the lack of time to scrutinise the bill," he added. At the same time, Johnson has been forced by parliament to request a three-month extension that European leaders will consider once they get a clearer picture of this week's parliamentary votes. Elsewhere Tuesday, global stock markets gained on modest gains on easing trade war concerns. US President Donald Trump reinforced hopes Monday that he and Xi Jinping will be able to put pen to paper on a mini pact, saying China had already started promised purchases of farm goods, and that the first part of a wider commitment was almost complete. "We'll be able to, we think, sign a completed document with China on phase one," Trump said at the White House, adding they would then move on to the next phases. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said efforts were being made for it to be ready when the leaders meet at the APEC summit next month in Chile. Trump's economics adviser Larry Kudlow indicated tariffs planned to go into effect in December could be cancelled if the talks go well.

British pound falls ahead of Brexit vote

As the British Parliament gets ready to vote on Brexit tonight, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-parliament-speaker-john-bercow-blocks-holding-of-new-vote-on-brexit-deal-257365">European Commission chief </a>Jean-Claude Juncker said the European body had done everything it could to make sure UK's departure from the European body is "orderly".

Addressing the European Parliament, Jean-Claude Juncker said: "At least we can look ourselves in the eyes and say that we have done all in our power to make sure that this departure is orderly."&nbsp;

British parliamentarians will be voting today on the 115-page Withdrawal Agreement Bill and then vote on the government's extremely tight timetable for approving the legislation. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/johnson-adamant-on-brexit-deadline-despite-delay-request-257170">Prime Minister Johnson has</a> vowed to exit the European by October 31.

"We need now to watch events in Westminster very closely," Juncker said. "It's not possible, not imaginable that this (European) parliament will ratify the agreement before Westminster will have ratified the agreement," European Commission President Juncker added.

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PM Johnson is battling to pull Britain out of the European Union as Parliament has repeatedly rejected his call for a no-deal. The United Kingdom had voted 52%-48% to leave the European Union in 2016, however, the path to Brexit has led to the resignation of two ministers - Cameron and Theresa May - with Johnson intent on walking out even if the 28-nation union offers no deal, a move bitterly contested by British lawmakers.

"It is obvious that the result of these consultations will very much depend on what the British parliament decides, or doesn’t decide. We should be ready for every scenario," Juncker told the European Parliament.

PM Johnson cannot afford a defeat of either vote tonight which is likely to delay his Brexit plan even as Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage told the EU parliament that another delay was on the cards.

Ahead of the vote in Parliament, the British pound fell from Monday's five-month peaks at $1.2936 Tuesday, down from $1.2960 late in New York on Monday as the country awaits the verdict on Brexit by lawmakers tonight.

As the British Parliament gets ready to vote on Brexit tonight, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said the European body had done everything it could to make sure UK's departure from the European body is "orderly".

As the British Parliament gets ready to vote on Brexit tonight, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said the European body had done everything it could to make sure UK's departure from the European body is "orderly". Addressing the European Parliament, Jean-Claude Juncker said: "At least we can look ourselves in the eyes and say that we have done all in our power to make sure that this departure is orderly." British parliamentarians will be voting today on the 115-page Withdrawal Agreement Bill and then vote on the government's extremely tight timetable for approving the legislation. Prime Minister Johnson has vowed to exit the European by October 31. "We need now to watch events in Westminster very closely," Juncker said. "It's not possible, not imaginable that this (European) parliament will ratify the agreement before Westminster will have ratified the agreement," European Commission President Juncker added. Watch Video: PM Johnson is battling to pull Britain out of the European Union as Parliament has repeatedly rejected his call for a no-deal. The United Kingdom had voted 52%-48% to leave the European Union in 2016, however, the path to Brexit has led to the resignation of two ministers - Cameron and Theresa May - with Johnson intent on walking out even if the 28-nation union offers no deal, a move bitterly contested by British lawmakers. "It is obvious that the result of these consultations will very much depend on what the British parliament decides, or doesn’t decide. We should be ready for every scenario," Juncker told the European Parliament. PM Johnson cannot afford a defeat of either vote tonight which is likely to delay his Brexit plan even as Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage told the EU parliament that another delay was on the cards. Ahead of the vote in Parliament, the British pound fell from Monday's five-month peaks at $1.2936 Tuesday, down from $1.2960 late in New York on Monday as the country awaits the verdict on Brexit by lawmakers tonight.

Ahead of Brexit vote, EU says 'done all in our power' for 'orderly departure'

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted Tuesday the EU had done "all in our power" to ensure an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-parliament-speaker-john-bercow-blocks-holding-of-new-vote-on-brexit-deal-257365">orderly Brexit</a>, but said the bloc would await British parliamentary approval for a new divorce deal before ratifying it. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Expressing regret that Britain planned to leave the EU on October 31, Juncker said: "At least we can look ourselves in the eyes and say that we have done all in our power to make sure that this departure is orderly."&nbsp;

"We need now to watch events in Westminster very closely. It's not possible, not imaginable that this parliament will ratify the agreement before Westminster will have ratified the agreement," he told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is desperately trying to secure a break from Brussels that severs many of the island nation's economic and political ties with Europe after 46 years of EU membership.

Lawmakers in Britain, meeting on a Saturday for the first time in 37 years, voted to demand that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-prime-minister-boris-johnson-prepares-fresh-brexit-push-257303">Johnson delay Brexit</a> while they further consider his newly-agreed EU divorce agreement.

The government's new strategy is to get parliament Tuesday to approve an accompanying package of legislation that needs ratifying for Brexit to take effect.

Britain has been struggling to agree on how to leave the EU ever since narrowly backing Brexit in a 2016 referendum.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted Tuesday the EU had done "all in our power" to ensure an orderly Brexit, but said the bloc would await British parliamentary approval for a new divorce deal before ratifying it.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted Tuesday the EU had done "all in our power" to ensure an orderly Brexit, but said the bloc would await British parliamentary approval for a new divorce deal before ratifying it. Expressing regret that Britain planned to leave the EU on October 31, Juncker said: "At least we can look ourselves in the eyes and say that we have done all in our power to make sure that this departure is orderly." "We need now to watch events in Westminster very closely. It's not possible, not imaginable that this parliament will ratify the agreement before Westminster will have ratified the agreement," he told the European Parliament in Strasbourg. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is desperately trying to secure a break from Brussels that severs many of the island nation's economic and political ties with Europe after 46 years of EU membership. Lawmakers in Britain, meeting on a Saturday for the first time in 37 years, voted to demand that Johnson delay Brexit while they further consider his newly-agreed EU divorce agreement. The government's new strategy is to get parliament Tuesday to approve an accompanying package of legislation that needs ratifying for Brexit to take effect. Britain has been struggling to agree on how to leave the EU ever since narrowly backing Brexit in a 2016 referendum.

European Union 'have done all in our power' for orderly Brexit: Juncker

Gold prices were little changed on Monday as investors waited for more clarity on US-China trade negotiations, and Brexit after British parliamentarians delayed a crucial vote on the divorce deal.

Spot gold was flat at $1,490.03 per ounce as of 0519 GMT. US&nbsp;gold futures dipped slightly to $1,493.50.

Asian shares edged higher, limiting bullion's gains, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.2 per cent.

"The markets are quite long, and people are worried about the trade war. Investors are waiting for pullbacks in gold to step in again," AxiTrader market strategist Stephen Innes said.

"What has been supportive for gold are recessionary fears, and provided that remains in the headlines, it is a significant reason to stay long gold. Right now, there is no major catalyst to drive it any direction."

The long-standing Sino-US&nbsp;trade war has taken a toll on economies around the world with Japan's exports down for a 10th straight month, South Korean exports plunging 19.5 per cent&nbsp;in October, and Thai exports missing expectations.

In China, new home prices grew at a steady pace in September, a relief for policymakers who remain wary of high debt and bubble risk, and are refraining from stimulating the sector as the economy cools.

Providing little comfort to market sentiment, British Lawmakers on Saturday voted to withhold a decision on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's deal, a move that forced him to seek from the EU the third postponement of Britain's departure from the bloc.

The vote for an extension dealt a blow to optimism that a deal agreed last week would ensure Brexit happens with little economic disruption.

Spot gold looks neutral in a range of $1,479-$1,502 per ounce, and an escape could suggest a direction, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said.

Among other precious metals, silver rose 0.2 per cent&nbsp;to $17.57 per ounce, and platinum rose 0.4 per cent&nbsp;to $892.64.

Meanwhile, palladium gained 0.9 per cent&nbsp;to $1,770.07 an ounce, slightly lower than a high of $1,783.21 it struck on Thursday.

"Sell rates for palladium reached the highest level since January. This suggests the recent rally has been driven by fundamentals, rather than speculative interest," ANZ Bank said in a note.

"And with the market likely to remain tight for the foreseeable future, we believe there is plenty more upside for (palladium) prices."

Gold prices were little changed on Monday as investors waited for more clarity on US-China trade negotiations, and Brexit after British parliamentarians delayed a crucial vote on the divorce deal.

Gold prices were little changed on Monday as investors waited for more clarity on US-China trade negotiations, and Brexit after British parliamentarians delayed a crucial vote on the divorce deal. Spot gold was flat at $1,490.03 per ounce as of 0519 GMT. US gold futures dipped slightly to $1,493.50. Asian shares edged higher, limiting bullion's gains, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.2 per cent. "The markets are quite long, and people are worried about the trade war. Investors are waiting for pullbacks in gold to step in again," AxiTrader market strategist Stephen Innes said. "What has been supportive for gold are recessionary fears, and provided that remains in the headlines, it is a significant reason to stay long gold. Right now, there is no major catalyst to drive it any direction." The long-standing Sino-US trade war has taken a toll on economies around the world with Japan's exports down for a 10th straight month, South Korean exports plunging 19.5 per cent in October, and Thai exports missing expectations. In China, new home prices grew at a steady pace in September, a relief for policymakers who remain wary of high debt and bubble risk, and are refraining from stimulating the sector as the economy cools. Providing little comfort to market sentiment, British Lawmakers on Saturday voted to withhold a decision on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's deal, a move that forced him to seek from the EU the third postponement of Britain's departure from the bloc. The vote for an extension dealt a blow to optimism that a deal agreed last week would ensure Brexit happens with little economic disruption. Spot gold looks neutral in a range of $1,479-$1,502 per ounce, and an escape could suggest a direction, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said. Among other precious metals, silver rose 0.2 per cent to $17.57 per ounce, and platinum rose 0.4 per cent to $892.64. Meanwhile, palladium gained 0.9 per cent to $1,770.07 an ounce, slightly lower than a high of $1,783.21 it struck on Thursday. "Sell rates for palladium reached the highest level since January. This suggests the recent rally has been driven by fundamentals, rather than speculative interest," ANZ Bank said in a note. "And with the market likely to remain tight for the foreseeable future, we believe there is plenty more upside for (palladium) prices."

Gold flat as markets eye trade talk cues, Brexit deal

Is United Kingdom Seeking A Brexit Deadline Extension Or A Withdrawal From European Union?

Gravitas: Brexit & The Tale Of Three Letters!

A&nbsp;defiant British government has doubled down, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-moves-to-ratify-brexit-accord-despite-delay-request-257074">insisting it will leave the European Union in 11 days</a> despite parliament's forcing a reluctant prime minister to request another delay.

On a day of high drama on Saturday, MPs in the House of Commons passed up the chance to decide on the revised withdrawal agreement that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had negotiated with the European Union.

That defeat leaves Johnson under mounting pressure to find a way out of paralysing impasse on when and how Britain would leave the EU after the country narrowly voted to exit in a 2016 referendum.

Johnson has reluctantly sent European Council President Donald Tusk a letter legally imposed on him by parliament requesting an extension, but refused to sign it.

The Conservative leader sent a second, signed letter insisting he was not seeking an extension to the Brexit deadline, which has already been postponed twice, warning that "a further extension would damage the interests of the UK and our EU partners".

Having failed to back a divorce deal, which Johnson had secured on Thursday, MPs triggered a law requiring him to write to EU leaders asking to delay Brexit to avoid the risk that Britain crashes out in less than a fortnight.

Senior cabinet minister Michael Gove, the government's Brexit planning chief, was nonetheless adamant that Britain would leave the EU on schedule.

"Yes. We are going to leave on October 31. We have the means and the ability to do so," he told Sky News.

Although Sterling fell on Monday, losses were limited by hopes the country can eventually avoid crashing out of the EU without a divorce agreement in place.

"We can say it (the pound) is holding firm, which shows hopes (for avoiding no-deal Brexit) have not been dashed," Shinichiro Kadota, exchange strategist at Barclays Securities in Japan, told AFP.

EU 'fed up': Raab

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-sends-unsigned-letter-seeking-brexit-delay-256989">The government will bring forward this week the domestic legislation</a> needed to implement the divorce deal, with a first vote as soon as Tuesday.

Separately, it is seeking a new yes-or-no vote on approving the deal on Monday, although this may fall foul of parliamentary procedure.

Commons Speaker John Bercow will rule on whether Johnson can hold a "meaningful vote" on the deal.

"If we get the legislation through then there is no extension. October 31 is within sight," said Gove.

He said it was dangerous to assume that the 27 other EU leaders would grant an extension.

More than three years on from the June 2016 vote to leave the EU, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that from his conversations with other EU capitals, "they are fed up with this now, and we are fed up with it".

The Labour main opposition has lambasted Johnson's deal as a "sellout" and voted for the delay.

However, senior figures hinted Sunday that they could let it go through, subject to amendments including a second referendum pitting a divorce deal against remaining in the bloc after all.

"What we are trying to achieve is that this deal in particular, but any deal, is put up against Remain in a referendum," the party's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer told the BBC.

"And we will have to see tactically how we get there."

Europe mulls response

Brussels officials pressed on with plans to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-mulls-johnsons-reluctant-brexit-delay-request-257025">ratify the divorce deal as European leaders</a> considered Johnson's delay request.

Ambassadors and senior officials from the other 27 member states met Sunday.

"The EU is keeping all options open and has therefore initiated the ratification process so that it can be handed over to the European Parliament on Monday," an EU diplomat told AFP.

"The EU will probably pursue this strategy until there is clarity on the British side," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Tusk will spend a "few days" canvassing member state leaders, and diplomats said this would mean the British parliament will have to vote on Brexit again before hearing their decision on the October 31 departure.

MPs voted by 322 votes to 306 on Saturday to support former Conservative MP Oliver Letwin's amendment to buy extra time.

Letwin said he would now switch and vote for the deal. Former interior minister Amber Rudd said the same, meaning Johnson is just a few votes short.

"We appear to have now the numbers to get this through," said Raab.

The Brexit date has already been pushed back twice from March 29, to the fury of those who wanted to abandon Britain's European project after nearly 50 years.

A defiant British government has doubled down, insisting it will leave the European Union in 11 days despite parliament's forcing a reluctant prime minister to request another delay.

A defiant British government has doubled down, insisting it will leave the European Union in 11 days despite parliament's forcing a reluctant prime minister to request another delay. On a day of high drama on Saturday, MPs in the House of Commons passed up the chance to decide on the revised withdrawal agreement that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had negotiated with the European Union. That defeat leaves Johnson under mounting pressure to find a way out of paralysing impasse on when and how Britain would leave the EU after the country narrowly voted to exit in a 2016 referendum. Johnson has reluctantly sent European Council President Donald Tusk a letter legally imposed on him by parliament requesting an extension, but refused to sign it. The Conservative leader sent a second, signed letter insisting he was not seeking an extension to the Brexit deadline, which has already been postponed twice, warning that "a further extension would damage the interests of the UK and our EU partners". Having failed to back a divorce deal, which Johnson had secured on Thursday, MPs triggered a law requiring him to write to EU leaders asking to delay Brexit to avoid the risk that Britain crashes out in less than a fortnight. Senior cabinet minister Michael Gove, the government's Brexit planning chief, was nonetheless adamant that Britain would leave the EU on schedule. "Yes. We are going to leave on October 31. We have the means and the ability to do so," he told Sky News. Although Sterling fell on Monday, losses were limited by hopes the country can eventually avoid crashing out of the EU without a divorce agreement in place. "We can say it (the pound) is holding firm, which shows hopes (for avoiding no-deal Brexit) have not been dashed," Shinichiro Kadota, exchange strategist at Barclays Securities in Japan, told AFP. EU 'fed up': Raab The government will bring forward this week the domestic legislation needed to implement the divorce deal, with a first vote as soon as Tuesday. Separately, it is seeking a new yes-or-no vote on approving the deal on Monday, although this may fall foul of parliamentary procedure. Commons Speaker John Bercow will rule on whether Johnson can hold a "meaningful vote" on the deal. "If we get the legislation through then there is no extension. October 31 is within sight," said Gove. He said it was dangerous to assume that the 27 other EU leaders would grant an extension. More than three years on from the June 2016 vote to leave the EU, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that from his conversations with other EU capitals, "they are fed up with this now, and we are fed up with it". The Labour main opposition has lambasted Johnson's deal as a "sellout" and voted for the delay. However, senior figures hinted Sunday that they could let it go through, subject to amendments including a second referendum pitting a divorce deal against remaining in the bloc after all. "What we are trying to achieve is that this deal in particular, but any deal, is put up against Remain in a referendum," the party's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer told the BBC. "And we will have to see tactically how we get there." Europe mulls response Brussels officials pressed on with plans to ratify the divorce deal as European leaders considered Johnson's delay request. Ambassadors and senior officials from the other 27 member states met Sunday. "The EU is keeping all options open and has therefore initiated the ratification process so that it can be handed over to the European Parliament on Monday," an EU diplomat told AFP. "The EU will probably pursue this strategy until there is clarity on the British side," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Tusk will spend a "few days" canvassing member state leaders, and diplomats said this would mean the British parliament will have to vote on Brexit again before hearing their decision on the October 31 departure. MPs voted by 322 votes to 306 on Saturday to support former Conservative MP Oliver Letwin's amendment to buy extra time. Letwin said he would now switch and vote for the deal. Former interior minister Amber Rudd said the same, meaning Johnson is just a few votes short. "We appear to have now the numbers to get this through," said Raab. The Brexit date has already been pushed back twice from March 29, to the fury of those who wanted to abandon Britain's European project after nearly 50 years.

Johnson adamant on Brexit deadline, despite delay request

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson battles to save Brexit deal as EU considers Brexit extension.

EU considers Brexit extension, Boris Johnson battles to save deal

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will again try to put his Brexit deal to a vote in parliament on Monday after he was forced by his opponents to send a letter to Brussels seeking a delay to Britain's departure from the European Union.

WION Dispatch: Boris Johnson to push for 2nd vote on his deal

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepared to Monday make a second attempt to ram his European Union divorce deal through parliament and avoid the political damage of delaying Brexit next week.

Another momentous week in the tortuous saga could end with Johnson engineering a divorce from Brussels that breaks many of the island nation's economic relations with Europe after 46 years of EU membership.

British lawmakers dealt a dramatic blow to Johnson's Brexit plan at the weekend by refusing to give their backing to his revised withdrawal agreement until the legislation needed to ratify it has passed.

His foes are now forging new alliances and trying to attach amendments that could either force Johnson to accept closer trade ties -- or abandon the deal and accept a third delay this year.

The option of extending Brexit past the latest October 31 deadline is now in the hands of the 27 remaining EU member states.

Britain has been struggling to agree on how to leave the EU, three-and-a-half years since a &nbsp;referendum on Brexit that has left the country deeply divided.

Johnson has built his entire Brexit strategy on the premise of using the pressures of time to force everyone to stop bickering and agree on an exit plan by the end of the month.

"This is the chance to leave the EU with a deal on October 31," Brexit minister Stephen Barclay said Monday.

But Johnson was mandated by UK lawmakers Saturday to send a letter to Brussels asking for more time.

The British leader ended up sending three letters on Saturday. The only one he actually signed said an "extension would damage the interests of the UK and our EU partners" and that he was firmly against a delay.

The maneuver&nbsp;is designed to minimize the political damage of Johnson going back on his word and seeking an extension ahead of an early general election most expect in the coming months.

The top civil court in Scotland will hear a challenge Monday on whether Johnson's half-hearted request broke the law.

But officials in Brussels said Johnson's request was valid.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he "would not rule out a short technical extension" if one was needed to get all the UK legislation approved.

<h2>Customs union plot</h2>

Johnson's first effort to get parliamentary backing for the deal he sealed against heavy odds last Thursday in Brussels was scuttled at a very rare Saturday sitting of British MPs.

Lawmakers pushed through an amendment obliging a furious Johnson to ask for an extension until the British legislation governing the withdrawal is drafted and passed.&nbsp;

Analysts said the process -- even when fast-tracked -- would generally take several weeks.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow might tell Johnson on Monday that he cannot bring what is effectively the same legislation back for a second vote.

This would switch the focus on the government's attempt Tuesday to get lawmakers to support domestic legislation in the accompanying Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

The success or failure then would set the course for the coming week and largely determine whether Johnson's will get his October 31 divorce.

But the deck against Johnson seems stacked.

The main opposition Labour Party is trying to create a cross-party alliance that would back Johnson's deal on the condition that it is fixed to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU.

Johnson and his supporters say this would kill the point of Brexit by keeping Britain tied to Europe and unable to strike its own trade deals with powers such as China and the United States.

Labour is trying to create a quick marriage of convenience with Johnson's nominal allies in Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party.

The DUP broke ranks and voted against Johnson's agreement Saturday because it created new trade regulations for goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

A customs union would avoid that.

The Brexit-supporting DUP appeared open to the suggestion after rejecting another amendment backed by Labour that would put up any eventual deal for a confirmatory referendum.

Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in London on Saturday demanding a second national vote on Brexit that could overturn the results of the 2016 referendum.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepared to Monday make a second attempt to ram his European Union divorce deal through parliament and avoid the political damage of delaying Brexit next week.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepared to Monday make a second attempt to ram his European Union divorce deal through parliament and avoid the political damage of delaying Brexit next week. Another momentous week in the tortuous saga could end with Johnson engineering a divorce from Brussels that breaks many of the island nation's economic relations with Europe after 46 years of EU membership. British lawmakers dealt a dramatic blow to Johnson's Brexit plan at the weekend by refusing to give their backing to his revised withdrawal agreement until the legislation needed to ratify it has passed. His foes are now forging new alliances and trying to attach amendments that could either force Johnson to accept closer trade ties -- or abandon the deal and accept a third delay this year. The option of extending Brexit past the latest October 31 deadline is now in the hands of the 27 remaining EU member states. Britain has been struggling to agree on how to leave the EU, three-and-a-half years since a referendum on Brexit that has left the country deeply divided. Johnson has built his entire Brexit strategy on the premise of using the pressures of time to force everyone to stop bickering and agree on an exit plan by the end of the month. "This is the chance to leave the EU with a deal on October 31," Brexit minister Stephen Barclay said Monday. But Johnson was mandated by UK lawmakers Saturday to send a letter to Brussels asking for more time. The British leader ended up sending three letters on Saturday. The only one he actually signed said an "extension would damage the interests of the UK and our EU partners" and that he was firmly against a delay. The maneuver is designed to minimize the political damage of Johnson going back on his word and seeking an extension ahead of an early general election most expect in the coming months. The top civil court in Scotland will hear a challenge Monday on whether Johnson's half-hearted request broke the law. But officials in Brussels said Johnson's request was valid. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he "would not rule out a short technical extension" if one was needed to get all the UK legislation approved. Customs union plot Johnson's first effort to get parliamentary backing for the deal he sealed against heavy odds last Thursday in Brussels was scuttled at a very rare Saturday sitting of British MPs. Lawmakers pushed through an amendment obliging a furious Johnson to ask for an extension until the British legislation governing the withdrawal is drafted and passed. Analysts said the process -- even when fast-tracked -- would generally take several weeks. House of Commons Speaker John Bercow might tell Johnson on Monday that he cannot bring what is effectively the same legislation back for a second vote. This would switch the focus on the government's attempt Tuesday to get lawmakers to support domestic legislation in the accompanying Withdrawal Agreement Bill. The success or failure then would set the course for the coming week and largely determine whether Johnson's will get his October 31 divorce. But the deck against Johnson seems stacked. The main opposition Labour Party is trying to create a cross-party alliance that would back Johnson's deal on the condition that it is fixed to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU. Johnson and his supporters say this would kill the point of Brexit by keeping Britain tied to Europe and unable to strike its own trade deals with powers such as China and the United States. Labour is trying to create a quick marriage of convenience with Johnson's nominal allies in Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party. The DUP broke ranks and voted against Johnson's agreement Saturday because it created new trade regulations for goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. A customs union would avoid that. The Brexit-supporting DUP appeared open to the suggestion after rejecting another amendment backed by Labour that would put up any eventual deal for a confirmatory referendum. Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in London on Saturday demanding a second national vote on Brexit that could overturn the results of the 2016 referendum.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares fresh Brexit push

Sterling fell on Monday after MPs voted to delay passing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, though losses were limited by hopes the country can eventually avoid crashing out of the EU without a divorce agreement in place.

The House of Commons sat on a Saturday for the first time in almost four decades to consider Johnson's deal in a vote that was seen as a potential turning point in the long-running Brexit saga.

But instead of delivering a verdict on the deal itself, lawmakers voted to force Johnson to ask the European Union for another Brexit delay, hoping to avoid crashing out of the bloc on October 31 with no agreement in place.

Johnson reluctantly agreed, although the EU is yet to respond to the request and Britain's conservative government insists it is still committed to exiting by the month's end.

The prime minister is hoping to bring the deal back to the House for a vote on Monday, but that might fall foul of parliamentary procedure, with Speaker John Bercow to rule on it later.

The pound -- which last week hit five-month highs on optimism for a deal — dropped against the dollar and the euro, but Stephen Innes, Asia-Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader, said: "The fact Sterling has proven surprisingly resilient... buttresses well for risk sentiment."

Saturday's vote meant more waiting for traders, Shinichiro Kadota, exchange strategist at Barclays Securities in Japan said.

"There had been hopes late last week that this issue would finally see a settlement. But now it's been shelved," he said.

"The pound rallied to close to $1.30 from $1.22... We can say it is holding firm, which shows hopes (for avoiding no-deal Brexit) have not been dashed."

'Substantial progress'

Rodrigo Catril, a senior forex strategist at National Australia Bank said the market was not in "wait-and-see mode".

"We saw the pound lose a little bit of ground, but from the perspective of what it's gained over the past week, that's really minimal," he told AFP.

Catril said it appeared a deal would be done before October 31 but a great deal of uncertainty remained, including the possibility of a "confirmatory vote", or second Brexit referendum.

Asian equity markets mostly rose but there was little major movement in reaction to China's top trade negotiator Liu He saying at the weekend that Beijing and Washington had made "substantial progress" towards wrapping up a partial trade deal announced earlier this month.

The deal offered China a temporary reprieve from tariffs planned for mid-October, while Beijing said it would hike purchases of US agricultural goods.

But it did not roll back any of the duties already imposed on hundreds of billions of dollars in exports to the US, nor address another round of levies due in December.

Still, the upbeat comments provided a boost to the yuan, which rose 0.2 percent against the dollar.

And Brett Ewing, chief market strategist at First Franklin Financial Services, told Bloomberg TV: "It would be significant if they can get a phase one deal signed before Thanksgiving -- the probability of that is probably a little bit over 60 percent right now.

"This is a very important issue, and I think it could remove a lot of uncertainty."

Hong Kong closed 0.1 percent up and Tokyo 0.3 percent higher, with Singapore climbing 0.8 percent and Seoul up 0.2 percent. Taipei and Jakarta also rose.

But Shanghai rose 0.1 percent, while Manila, Bangkok and Wellington were also in the red.

In early European trade London, Paris and Frankfurt were all down.

Key figures around

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2920 from $1.2989 at 2100 GMT on Friday

Euro/pound: UP at 86.37 pence from 86.20 pence

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1157 from $1.1174&nbsp;

Dollar/yen: UP at 108.53 yen from 108.35 yen

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 5.98 percent at 7,144.59

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 22,548.90 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.1 percent at 26,740.24 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 2,939.62 (close)

West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 17 cents at $53.61 per barrel

Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 24 cents at $59.18 per barrel

New York - Dow: DOWN 1.0 percent at 26,770.20 (close)

Sterling fell on Monday after MPs voted to delay passing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, though losses were limited by hopes the country can eventually avoid crashing out of the EU without a divorce agreement in place.

Sterling fell on Monday after MPs voted to delay passing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, though losses were limited by hopes the country can eventually avoid crashing out of the EU without a divorce agreement in place. The House of Commons sat on a Saturday for the first time in almost four decades to consider Johnson's deal in a vote that was seen as a potential turning point in the long-running Brexit saga. But instead of delivering a verdict on the deal itself, lawmakers voted to force Johnson to ask the European Union for another Brexit delay, hoping to avoid crashing out of the bloc on October 31 with no agreement in place. Johnson reluctantly agreed, although the EU is yet to respond to the request and Britain's conservative government insists it is still committed to exiting by the month's end. The prime minister is hoping to bring the deal back to the House for a vote on Monday, but that might fall foul of parliamentary procedure, with Speaker John Bercow to rule on it later. The pound -- which last week hit five-month highs on optimism for a deal — dropped against the dollar and the euro, but Stephen Innes, Asia-Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader, said: "The fact Sterling has proven surprisingly resilient... buttresses well for risk sentiment." Saturday's vote meant more waiting for traders, Shinichiro Kadota, exchange strategist at Barclays Securities in Japan said. "There had been hopes late last week that this issue would finally see a settlement. But now it's been shelved," he said. "The pound rallied to close to $1.30 from $1.22... We can say it is holding firm, which shows hopes (for avoiding no-deal Brexit) have not been dashed." 'Substantial progress' Rodrigo Catril, a senior forex strategist at National Australia Bank said the market was not in "wait-and-see mode". "We saw the pound lose a little bit of ground, but from the perspective of what it's gained over the past week, that's really minimal," he told AFP. Catril said it appeared a deal would be done before October 31 but a great deal of uncertainty remained, including the possibility of a "confirmatory vote", or second Brexit referendum. Asian equity markets mostly rose but there was little major movement in reaction to China's top trade negotiator Liu He saying at the weekend that Beijing and Washington had made "substantial progress" towards wrapping up a partial trade deal announced earlier this month. The deal offered China a temporary reprieve from tariffs planned for mid-October, while Beijing said it would hike purchases of US agricultural goods. But it did not roll back any of the duties already imposed on hundreds of billions of dollars in exports to the US, nor address another round of levies due in December. Still, the upbeat comments provided a boost to the yuan, which rose 0.2 percent against the dollar. And Brett Ewing, chief market strategist at First Franklin Financial Services, told Bloomberg TV: "It would be significant if they can get a phase one deal signed before Thanksgiving -- the probability of that is probably a little bit over 60 percent right now. "This is a very important issue, and I think it could remove a lot of uncertainty." Hong Kong closed 0.1 percent up and Tokyo 0.3 percent higher, with Singapore climbing 0.8 percent and Seoul up 0.2 percent. Taipei and Jakarta also rose. But Shanghai rose 0.1 percent, while Manila, Bangkok and Wellington were also in the red. In early European trade London, Paris and Frankfurt were all down. Key figures around Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2920 from $1.2989 at 2100 GMT on Friday Euro/pound: UP at 86.37 pence from 86.20 pence Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1157 from $1.1174 Dollar/yen: UP at 108.53 yen from 108.35 yen London - FTSE 100: DOWN 5.98 percent at 7,144.59 Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 22,548.90 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.1 percent at 26,740.24 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 2,939.62 (close) West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 17 cents at $53.61 per barrel Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 24 cents at $59.18 per barrel New York - Dow: DOWN 1.0 percent at 26,770.20 (close)

Pound dips as Brexit saga drags but hopes for deal lend support

European Union leaders were on Sunday considering a request by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-sends-unsigned-letter-seeking-brexit-delay-256989">Prime Minister Boris Johnson to delay Britain's departure from the bloc,</a> 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 asks 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, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-urges-united-kingdom-to-explain-brexit-plan-as-soon-as-possible-256956">Johnson will bring forward legislation</a> 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.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-mps-vote-to-delay-brexit-deal-decision-256944">He urged MPs to end years of uncertainty</a> 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.

European Union 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.

European Union 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 asks 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.

European Union mulls Johnson's reluctant Brexit delay request

Brexit will happen by October 31, British government minister Michael Gove said on Sunday, despite lawmakers forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to send a letter on Saturday,&nbsp;to the European Union requesting a delay.

"We are going to leave by October 31, we have the means and the ability to do so," Gove, the minister is in charge of no-deal Brexit preparations, told Sky News.

The fractious <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-urges-united-kingdom-to-explain-brexit-plan-as-soon-as-possible-256956">British parliament refused to vote on Johnson's new Brexit</a> withdrawal deal on Saturday, a move that forced him to seek a third postponement of Britain's departure from the bloc. It has so far been envisaged for October 31.

After the British parliament refused to endorse Johnson's deal at the first time of asking on Saturday, the prime minister sent a letter to the bloc requesting a delay, as required by a law passed earlier by parliament.

Gove said that Johnson had sent the letter because it was required by parliament, but "parliament can't change the prime minister's mind".

At a rare Sunday meeting of ambassadors of the 27 states that will make up the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-mps-vote-to-delay-brexit-deal-decision-256944">EU after Brexit</a>, the diplomats decided to forward Johnson's deal to the European Parliament for its required approval. The EU chamber sits in Strasbourg next week.

Brexit will happen by October 31, British government minister Michael Gove said on Sunday, despite lawmakers forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to send a letter on Saturday, to the European Union requesting a delay.

Brexit will happen by October 31, British government minister Michael Gove said on Sunday, despite lawmakers forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to send a letter on Saturday, to the European Union requesting a delay. "We are going to leave by October 31, we have the means and the ability to do so," Gove, the minister is in charge of no-deal Brexit preparations, told Sky News. The fractious British parliament refused to vote on Johnson's new Brexit withdrawal deal on Saturday, a move that forced him to seek a third postponement of Britain's departure from the bloc. It has so far been envisaged for October 31. After the British parliament refused to endorse Johnson's deal at the first time of asking on Saturday, the prime minister sent a letter to the bloc requesting a delay, as required by a law passed earlier by parliament. Gove said that Johnson had sent the letter because it was required by parliament, but "parliament can't change the prime minister's mind". At a rare Sunday meeting of ambassadors of the 27 states that will make up the EU after Brexit, the diplomats decided to forward Johnson's deal to the European Parliament for its required approval. The EU chamber sits in Strasbourg next week.

Gove says United Kingdom will leave European Union by October 31, Farage calls for general election

Brussels officials on Sunday pressed on with plans to ratify <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-mulls-johnsons-reluctant-brexit-delay-request-257025">the divorce deal</a> as European leaders considered Prime Minister Boris Johnson's reluctant request for a Brexit delay.

Ambassadors and senior officials from the other 27 members states met Sunday after British MPs forced Johnson to send EU Council president Donald Tusk a late request to postpone the withdrawal.

But Tusk will spend a "few days" canvassing member state leaders, meaning the British parliament will likely have to vote on Brexit again before hearing their decision on the October 31 departure.

"It was a very short and normal meeting of the EU ambassadors to launch the next steps of the EU ratification of the agreement," EU negotiator Michel Barnier told reporters after Sunday's talks.

Diplomats told AFP the ambassadors' meeting lasted only 15 minutes and had dealt simply with EU ratification, although a participant said they had "taken note" of Johnson's letter.

Asked whether he thought EU leaders would grant a delay, Barnier said: "President Tusk will consult in the next days."

Previous deal torpedoed

On Saturday, MPs pushed through an amendment obliging a furious Johnson to ask for an extension until the British legislation governing the withdrawal is drafted and passed. &nbsp;

Johnson, who refused to sign the letter and insists no delay is necessary, plans to bring the Brexit agreement he reached with Barnier last week to a vote on Monday.

MPs will thus have to vote without knowing whether <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-sends-unsigned-letter-seeking-brexit-delay-256989">EU leaders will allow an extension</a>, and if so whether they will delay Brexit as far as January 31 next year, as the British letter requested.

"Further developments on the British side will have to be taken into account," another European diplomat confirmed.

"What was decided on Thursday stays on the table. The British parliament didn't reject the deal, so no need to change course."

And one diplomat took to Twitter to complain that his Sunday morning had been disrupted by British political manoeuvres.

Gregor Schusterschitz, Austria's deputy permanent representative to the EU, sent a picture of the meeting agenda.&nbsp;

"What better way at to start a Sunday morning than with a meeting on Brexit... and this in all the uncertainty yet again created by the House of Commons," he added.&nbsp;

European sources were not sure how any decision on an extension will be made. Tusk could call a special summit next week, but diplomats said he is more likely to use a written procedure.

One European diplomat suggested a summit would only be necessary if British MPs reject the deal next week and overturn the whole process. Any decision, either way, must be unanimous.

Last week, EU and UK negotiators announced an agreement to govern <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-urges-united-kingdom-to-explain-brexit-plan-as-soon-as-possible-256956">Britain's departure from the bloc</a> at the end of the month and European leaders endorsed it at a summit on Thursday.

The EU parliament will begin its own ratification procedures on Monday but Britain's House of Commons, which torpedoed an earlier agreement signed a year earlier, still has its doubts.

Brussels officials on Sunday pressed on with plans to ratify the divorce deal as European leaders considered Prime Minister Boris Johnson's reluctant request for a Brexit delay.

Brussels officials on Sunday pressed on with plans to ratify the divorce deal as European leaders considered Prime Minister Boris Johnson's reluctant request for a Brexit delay. Ambassadors and senior officials from the other 27 members states met Sunday after British MPs forced Johnson to send EU Council president Donald Tusk a late request to postpone the withdrawal. But Tusk will spend a "few days" canvassing member state leaders, meaning the British parliament will likely have to vote on Brexit again before hearing their decision on the October 31 departure. "It was a very short and normal meeting of the EU ambassadors to launch the next steps of the EU ratification of the agreement," EU negotiator Michel Barnier told reporters after Sunday's talks. Diplomats told AFP the ambassadors' meeting lasted only 15 minutes and had dealt simply with EU ratification, although a participant said they had "taken note" of Johnson's letter. Asked whether he thought EU leaders would grant a delay, Barnier said: "President Tusk will consult in the next days." Previous deal torpedoed On Saturday, MPs pushed through an amendment obliging a furious Johnson to ask for an extension until the British legislation governing the withdrawal is drafted and passed. Johnson, who refused to sign the letter and insists no delay is necessary, plans to bring the Brexit agreement he reached with Barnier last week to a vote on Monday. MPs will thus have to vote without knowing whether EU leaders will allow an extension, and if so whether they will delay Brexit as far as January 31 next year, as the British letter requested. "Further developments on the British side will have to be taken into account," another European diplomat confirmed. "What was decided on Thursday stays on the table. The British parliament didn't reject the deal, so no need to change course." And one diplomat took to Twitter to complain that his Sunday morning had been disrupted by British political manoeuvres. Gregor Schusterschitz, Austria's deputy permanent representative to the EU, sent a picture of the meeting agenda. "What better way at to start a Sunday morning than with a meeting on Brexit... and this in all the uncertainty yet again created by the House of Commons," he added. European sources were not sure how any decision on an extension will be made. Tusk could call a special summit next week, but diplomats said he is more likely to use a written procedure. One European diplomat suggested a summit would only be necessary if British MPs reject the deal next week and overturn the whole process. Any decision, either way, must be unanimous. Last week, EU and UK negotiators announced an agreement to govern Britain's departure from the bloc at the end of the month and European leaders endorsed it at a summit on Thursday. The EU parliament will begin its own ratification procedures on Monday but Britain's House of Commons, which torpedoed an earlier agreement signed a year earlier, still has its doubts.

European Union moves to ratify Brexit accord despite delay request

Prime Minister Boris Johnson puts his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-scrambles-to-sell-brexit-deal-to-mps-256702">last-minute Brexit deal</a> to a vote in an extraordinary sitting of the British parliament on Saturday, a day of reckoning that could decide the course of the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union.

More than three years since the United Kingdom voted 52-48 to be the first sovereign country to leave the European project, Johnson will try to win parliament's approval for the divorce treaty he struck in Brussels on Thursday.

In a day of Brexit high drama, lawmakers convene for the first Saturday sitting since the 1982 Argentine invasion of the Falklands, while hundreds of thousands of people march to parliament demanding another referendum.

Johnson cast the vote in parliament as the last chance to secure an orderly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/european-union-leaders-discuss-12-trillion-post-brexit-budget-256617">Brexit</a>. Though he is obliged by law to seek a Brexit delay if his deal falls, Johnson said the United Kingdom would still leave on October&nbsp;31. He didn't explain how.

"There has been any number of false dawns. Deadlines for our departure have come and gone," Johnson, the face of the 2016 campaign to leave the EU, wrote in Britain's best selling newspaper, The Sun. "Today can be the day we get Brexit done."

The so-called "Super Saturday" Brexit extravaganza tops a frenetic week which saw Johnson confound his opponents by clinching a new Brexit deal only to find his Northern Irish allies oppose the deal he struck.

In a divided parliament where he has no majority and opponents are plotting maximum political damage ahead of an imminent election, Johnson must now win the support of 320 lawmakers to pass his deal through a booby-trapped legislature.

If he wins the vote, Johnson will go down in history as the leader who delivered a Brexit - for good or bad - that pulls the United Kingdom far out of the EU's orbit.

If he fails, Johnson will face the humiliation of Brexit unravelling after repeatedly promising that he would get it done -<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-agrees-brexit-deal-but-must-now-win-over-parliament-256575"> "do or die" - by October 31</a>.

Parliament will sit from 0830 GMT on Saturday. Johnson will make a statement to lawmakers, after which there will be a debate and then votes on amendments and finally - if all goes according to the government's plan - his deal.

'Get Brexit done'

Downing Street cast the vote as a last chance to get Brexit done with lawmakers facing the option of either approving the deal or propelling the United Kingdom to a disorderly no-deal exit that could divide the West, hurt global growth and trigger violence in Northern Ireland.

"Today we MPs (Members of Parliament) have the chance to free you from the never-ending Brexit saga and move this country forward," Johnson wrote. "In less than two weeks, on October 31, we would be out of the EU."

Johnson won the top job by staking his career on getting Brexit done by the latest deadline of October 31 after his predecessor, Theresa May, was forced to delay the departure date. Parliament rejected her deal three times, by margins of between 58 and 230 votes earlier this year.

To win the vote, though, Johnson must persuade enough Brexit-supporting rebels in both his own Conservative Party and the opposition Labour Party to back his deal. His Northern Irish allies and the three main opposition parties oppose it.

And he must navigate a legislative jungle that his opponents are trying to booby trap with amendments that could wreck his path to Brexit.

One expelled Conservative lawmaker, Oliver Letwin, has proposed that the decision on whether to back a deal be deferred until all the legislation needed to implement the terms of the deal has been passed through parliament.

This proposal will be put to a vote at the end of Saturday's debate if selected by Speaker John Bercow. If the amendment is approved by parliament, Johnson's deal would not then be put to a vote on Saturday.

That would be major setback that would leave Brexit, yet again, up in the air as thousands of protesters demanding another referendum mass outside the railings of the 800-year-old parliament.

Aimed at preventing the United Kingdom from somehow dropping out of the EU without a deal, the Letwin move would in effect force Johnson to delay Brexit until all the laws needed to leave have passed through parliament's multi-stage approval process.

Even though Johnson believes this can be achieved by Oct. 31, others think it would need a short 'technical' delay.

A law passed by Johnson's opponents obliges him to ask the EU for a Brexit delay until Jan. 31 2020 unless he has secured approval for his deal by the end of Saturday.

"My aim is to ensure that Boris’s deal succeeds," Letwin said. "But that we have an insurance policy which prevents the UK from crashing out on 31 October by mistake if something goes wrong during the passage of the implementing legislation."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson puts his last-minute Brexit deal to a vote in an extraordinary sitting of the British parliament on Saturday, a day of reckoning that could decide the course of the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson puts his last-minute Brexit deal to a vote in an extraordinary sitting of the British parliament on Saturday, a day of reckoning that could decide the course of the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union. More than three years since the United Kingdom voted 52-48 to be the first sovereign country to leave the European project, Johnson will try to win parliament's approval for the divorce treaty he struck in Brussels on Thursday. In a day of Brexit high drama, lawmakers convene for the first Saturday sitting since the 1982 Argentine invasion of the Falklands, while hundreds of thousands of people march to parliament demanding another referendum. Johnson cast the vote in parliament as the last chance to secure an orderly Brexit. Though he is obliged by law to seek a Brexit delay if his deal falls, Johnson said the United Kingdom would still leave on October 31. He didn't explain how. "There has been any number of false dawns. Deadlines for our departure have come and gone," Johnson, the face of the 2016 campaign to leave the EU, wrote in Britain's best selling newspaper, The Sun. "Today can be the day we get Brexit done." The so-called "Super Saturday" Brexit extravaganza tops a frenetic week which saw Johnson confound his opponents by clinching a new Brexit deal only to find his Northern Irish allies oppose the deal he struck. In a divided parliament where he has no majority and opponents are plotting maximum political damage ahead of an imminent election, Johnson must now win the support of 320 lawmakers to pass his deal through a booby-trapped legislature. If he wins the vote, Johnson will go down in history as the leader who delivered a Brexit - for good or bad - that pulls the United Kingdom far out of the EU's orbit. If he fails, Johnson will face the humiliation of Brexit unravelling after repeatedly promising that he would get it done - "do or die" - by October 31. Parliament will sit from 0830 GMT on Saturday. Johnson will make a statement to lawmakers, after which there will be a debate and then votes on amendments and finally - if all goes according to the government's plan - his deal. 'Get Brexit done' Downing Street cast the vote as a last chance to get Brexit done with lawmakers facing the option of either approving the deal or propelling the United Kingdom to a disorderly no-deal exit that could divide the West, hurt global growth and trigger violence in Northern Ireland. "Today we MPs (Members of Parliament) have the chance to free you from the never-ending Brexit saga and move this country forward," Johnson wrote. "In less than two weeks, on October 31, we would be out of the EU." Johnson won the top job by staking his career on getting Brexit done by the latest deadline of October 31 after his predecessor, Theresa May, was forced to delay the departure date. Parliament rejected her deal three times, by margins of between 58 and 230 votes earlier this year. To win the vote, though, Johnson must persuade enough Brexit-supporting rebels in both his own Conservative Party and the opposition Labour Party to back his deal. His Northern Irish allies and the three main opposition parties oppose it. And he must navigate a legislative jungle that his opponents are trying to booby trap with amendments that could wreck his path to Brexit. One expelled Conservative lawmaker, Oliver Letwin, has proposed that the decision on whether to back a deal be deferred until all the legislation needed to implement the terms of the deal has been passed through parliament. This proposal will be put to a vote at the end of Saturday's debate if selected by Speaker John Bercow. If the amendment is approved by parliament, Johnson's deal would not then be put to a vote on Saturday. That would be major setback that would leave Brexit, yet again, up in the air as thousands of protesters demanding another referendum mass outside the railings of the 800-year-old parliament. Aimed at preventing the United Kingdom from somehow dropping out of the EU without a deal, the Letwin move would in effect force Johnson to delay Brexit until all the laws needed to leave have passed through parliament's multi-stage approval process. Even though Johnson believes this can be achieved by Oct. 31, others think it would need a short 'technical' delay. A law passed by Johnson's opponents obliges him to ask the EU for a Brexit delay until Jan. 31 2020 unless he has secured approval for his deal by the end of Saturday. "My aim is to ensure that Boris’s deal succeeds," Letwin said. "But that we have an insurance policy which prevents the UK from crashing out on 31 October by mistake if something goes wrong during the passage of the implementing legislation."

Brexit day of reckoning - parliament to vote on Boris Johnson's deal

Johnson defiant after British parliament votes to force Brexit delay. Watch video to know more.

Johnson defiant after British parliament votes to force Brexit delay

The European Commission urged British Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-mps-vote-to-delay-brexit-deal-decision-256944">Boris Johnson's government on Saturday to quickly explain</a> how it wants to proceed with Brexit preparations after losing another parliamentary vote.

Spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said Brussels "takes note of the vote in the House of Commons today on the so-called Letwin Amendment meaning that the Withdrawal Agreement itself was not put to vote today.&nbsp;

"It will be for the UK government to inform us about the next steps as soon as possible," she tweeted.

Earlier, the British parliament passed an amendment which has the effect of forcing Johnson to ask EU leaders to delay <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/anti-brexit-activists-march-to-parliament-as-members-of-parliament-debate-deal-256941">Brexit beyond October 31</a>, something he had vowed not to do.

The delay would have to be requested by a letter from the British government to the European Council, which represents member state leaders in Brussels.

An official at the council said it had "no comment for now".

Saturday's parliamentary manoeuvres follow the announcement at an EU summit on Thursday that London and Brussels had come to an agreement to allow Britain to leave the bloc at the end of the month. &nbsp;

The European Commission urged British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government on Saturday to quickly explain how it wants to proceed with Brexit preparations after losing another parliamentary vote.

The European Commission urged British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government on Saturday to quickly explain how it wants to proceed with Brexit preparations after losing another parliamentary vote. Spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said Brussels "takes note of the vote in the House of Commons today on the so-called Letwin Amendment meaning that the Withdrawal Agreement itself was not put to vote today. "It will be for the UK government to inform us about the next steps as soon as possible," she tweeted. Earlier, the British parliament passed an amendment which has the effect of forcing Johnson to ask EU leaders to delay Brexit beyond October 31, something he had vowed not to do. The delay would have to be requested by a letter from the British government to the European Council, which represents member state leaders in Brussels. An official at the council said it had "no comment for now". Saturday's parliamentary manoeuvres follow the announcement at an EU summit on Thursday that London and Brussels had come to an agreement to allow Britain to leave the bloc at the end of the month.

European Union urges United Kingdom to explain Brexit plan 'as soon as possible'

Tens of thousands of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-in-the-balance-as-british-members-of-parliament-hold-knife-edge-vote-256892">pro-EU protesters from across Britain</a> wielding banners, placards and flags converged on parliament on Saturday, as MPs debated the government's Brexit deal.

Beneath largely clear blue skies, demonstrators rallied near Hyde Park in central London before marching to Westminster to call for a second referendum on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-scrambles-to-sell-brexit-deal-to-mps-256702">Britain's planned EU departure</a>.

Walking behind a pink banner proclaiming "together for the final say", they chanted: "What do we want? People's vote! When do we want it? Now."

"The first referendum was jumping on a train without a destination," said Douglas Hill, 35, from Oxford, south-central England, with his Estonian wife and their baby daughter.

"Now that we have a destination, we need to have a second referendum."

Another attendee, Theodor Howe, a 20-year-old student in Dundee, eastern Scotland, conceded another poll could be divisive but insisted it was still necessary.

"People should have a say in what is going to happen," he told AFP, expressing hope that MPs reject Johnson's deal and that he is forced to ask Brussels for another delay.

Politicians including John McDonnell, from the main opposition Labour party, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, were due to address the crowds.

Organisers from the People's Vote pressure group laid on 172 buses to bring people to the British capital, with the cost covered by supporters from sport, business and entertainment, it said.

Former prime ministers John Major, a Conservative, and Tony Blair, of Labour, feature in a film set to be broadcast to the crowds once they arrive in Parliament Square.

"Whatever is the outcome, no deal or bad deal, it should not pass without the final say resting with the people," they said in a statement Friday.

London Mayor Khan was among those leading the crowd as it snaked its way towards parliament, which was holding its first Saturday sitting since the 1982 Falklands War as the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-deal-new-way-forward-for-britain-and-eu-pm-boris-johnson-256870">British prime minister bids</a> to win MPs backing.

The protesters unveiled an effigy depicting Johnson as a puppet operated by his chief advisor Dominic Cummings -- a highly divisive figure who led the 2016 campaign to leave the EU.

A smaller counter-protest by Brexit supporters draped in Britain's union flag was also staged in Westminster, with rival demonstrators verbally sparring with each other in the shadow in parliament.

Tens of thousands of pro-EU protesters from across Britain wielding banners, placards and flags converged on parliament on Saturday, as MPs debated the government's Brexit deal.

Tens of thousands of pro-EU protesters from across Britain wielding banners, placards and flags converged on parliament on Saturday, as MPs debated the government's Brexit deal. Beneath largely clear blue skies, demonstrators rallied near Hyde Park in central London before marching to Westminster to call for a second referendum on Britain's planned EU departure. Walking behind a pink banner proclaiming "together for the final say", they chanted: "What do we want? People's vote! When do we want it? Now." "The first referendum was jumping on a train without a destination," said Douglas Hill, 35, from Oxford, south-central England, with his Estonian wife and their baby daughter. "Now that we have a destination, we need to have a second referendum." Another attendee, Theodor Howe, a 20-year-old student in Dundee, eastern Scotland, conceded another poll could be divisive but insisted it was still necessary. "People should have a say in what is going to happen," he told AFP, expressing hope that MPs reject Johnson's deal and that he is forced to ask Brussels for another delay. Politicians including John McDonnell, from the main opposition Labour party, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, were due to address the crowds. Organisers from the People's Vote pressure group laid on 172 buses to bring people to the British capital, with the cost covered by supporters from sport, business and entertainment, it said. Former prime ministers John Major, a Conservative, and Tony Blair, of Labour, feature in a film set to be broadcast to the crowds once they arrive in Parliament Square. "Whatever is the outcome, no deal or bad deal, it should not pass without the final say resting with the people," they said in a statement Friday. London Mayor Khan was among those leading the crowd as it snaked its way towards parliament, which was holding its first Saturday sitting since the 1982 Falklands War as the British prime minister bids to win MPs backing. The protesters unveiled an effigy depicting Johnson as a puppet operated by his chief advisor Dominic Cummings -- a highly divisive figure who led the 2016 campaign to leave the EU. A smaller counter-protest by Brexit supporters draped in Britain's union flag was also staged in Westminster, with rival demonstrators verbally sparring with each other in the shadow in parliament.

Anti-Brexit activists march to parliament as Members of Parliament debate deal

British Members&nbsp;of Parliament&nbsp;gathered on Saturday for a knife-edge vote on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-deal-new-way-forward-for-britain-and-eu-pm-boris-johnson-256870">Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal </a>for a decision that could see the United Kingdom leave the European Union this month or plunge the country into fresh uncertainty.

Parliament was holding its first Saturday sitting since the 1982 Falklands War to debate the terms of a last-ditch divorce agreement Johnson struck with European Union leaders Thursday.

Opposition parties and Johnson's own Northern Irish allies have rejected the text but the prime minister and his team have spent the past 48 hours frantically trying to win the support of wavering MPs.

The vote is widely seen as too close to call but Johnson warned his deal was still the best way out of the tortuous Brexit process that has left Britain in political turmoil since a 2016 referendum.

The Conservative premier told lawmakers his deal would be a "new way forward and a new and better deal both for Britain and our friends in the EU".

He wants Britain to end its 46-year membership of the EU as planned on October 31 and is seeking a clear-cut vote that either approves or rejects the divorce treaty.

But MPs are proposing an amendment for approval of the deal to be withheld unless and until all necessary implementing legislation has passed.

They fear is that even if MPs approve the deal, they will not have enough time to debate the formal withdrawal agreement bill before the October 31 deadline, which could see no-deal Brexit by accident.

If the amendment, which has the support of the main opposition Labour party, is passed then it would trigger a law requiring Johnson asking EU leaders to delay Brexit again.

But Downing Street officials say even if that happens, they would introduce the bill on Monday, in the hope it would still be debated and passed in time for Britain to leave at the end of the month.

Johnson said that further delay would be "pointless, expensive and deeply corrosive to public trust".

Heated debate

Securing a deal was a personal victory for Johnson, a figurehead in the Leave campaign who has vowed to deliver Brexit on October 31 come what may.

But parliament, like the frustrated public,&nbsp;is still bittered divided over how and even if Britain should end almost half a century of integration with its closest neighbours.

The debate coincides with a mass demonstration to parliament demanding a second referendum, with an option to reverse Brexit.

A defeat for Johnson would trigger a law requiring him to ask EU leaders to delay Brexit for what would be the third time. He has said he would "rather be dead in a ditch" than do so.

Any extension would depend on all 27 EU leaders saying yes.&nbsp;

'Sell-out deal'

Johnson took office in July after his predecessor Theresa May failed three times to get her own divorce deal through parliament.

He insists that Brexit must happen this month to end the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdom-brexit-vote-amendment-could-cause-another-delay-256888"> uncertainty that has weighed on the economy </a>and dominated political and public debate.

However, the vote rests on a knife-edge.

Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, which supports Johnson's minority government, will vote against the agreement because of its arrangements for the British province.

Labour, led by veteran leftist Jeremy Corbyn, is set against the deal.

"Boris Johnson's sell-out deal risks triggering a race to the bottom on rights and protections: putting food safety at risk, cutting environmental standards and workers' rights, and opening up our NHS (National Health Service) to a takeover by US corporations," said Corbyn.

'Sick and tired'

Eurosceptic newspapers urged MPs to back the deal.

The Daily Express front page said: "Respect the will of the people and let's move on."

The Daily Telegraph said it was Britain's best chance for an orderly departure.

"People are sick and tired of the delay and fed up with procedural trickery," it said of the proposed amendment.

An online Survation poll of 1,025 adults on Thursday and Friday for the Daily Mail found that 50 per cent said MPs should vote for the deal, while 38 per cent said not.

Meanwhile, The Times said: "On behalf of a bored and disillusioned country, increasingly angry with Westminster, MPs should back the deal."

EU leaders in Brussels this week urged lawmakers to back the deal, to allow both sides to move on to discussing their future relationship.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-day-of-reckoning-parliament-to-vote-on-boris-johnsons-deal-256805">The deal covers Britain's financial settlement</a>, protects the rights of EU citizens and sets out a post-Brexit transition period potentially until 2022 to allow both sides to agree to new trade terms.

British Members of Parliament gathered on Saturday for a knife-edge vote on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal for a decision that could see the United Kingdom leave the European Union this month or plunge the country into fresh uncertainty.

British Members of Parliament gathered on Saturday for a knife-edge vote on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal for a decision that could see the United Kingdom leave the European Union this month or plunge the country into fresh uncertainty. Parliament was holding its first Saturday sitting since the 1982 Falklands War to debate the terms of a last-ditch divorce agreement Johnson struck with European Union leaders Thursday. Opposition parties and Johnson's own Northern Irish allies have rejected the text but the prime minister and his team have spent the past 48 hours frantically trying to win the support of wavering MPs. The vote is widely seen as too close to call but Johnson warned his deal was still the best way out of the tortuous Brexit process that has left Britain in political turmoil since a 2016 referendum. The Conservative premier told lawmakers his deal would be a "new way forward and a new and better deal both for Britain and our friends in the EU". He wants Britain to end its 46-year membership of the EU as planned on October 31 and is seeking a clear-cut vote that either approves or rejects the divorce treaty. But MPs are proposing an amendment for approval of the deal to be withheld unless and until all necessary implementing legislation has passed. They fear is that even if MPs approve the deal, they will not have enough time to debate the formal withdrawal agreement bill before the October 31 deadline, which could see no-deal Brexit by accident. If the amendment, which has the support of the main opposition Labour party, is passed then it would trigger a law requiring Johnson asking EU leaders to delay Brexit again. But Downing Street officials say even if that happens, they would introduce the bill on Monday, in the hope it would still be debated and passed in time for Britain to leave at the end of the month. Johnson said that further delay would be "pointless, expensive and deeply corrosive to public trust". Heated debate Securing a deal was a personal victory for Johnson, a figurehead in the Leave campaign who has vowed to deliver Brexit on October 31 come what may. But parliament, like the frustrated public, is still bittered divided over how and even if Britain should end almost half a century of integration with its closest neighbours. The debate coincides with a mass demonstration to parliament demanding a second referendum, with an option to reverse Brexit. A defeat for Johnson would trigger a law requiring him to ask EU leaders to delay Brexit for what would be the third time. He has said he would "rather be dead in a ditch" than do so. Any extension would depend on all 27 EU leaders saying yes. 'Sell-out deal' Johnson took office in July after his predecessor Theresa May failed three times to get her own divorce deal through parliament. He insists that Brexit must happen this month to end the uncertainty that has weighed on the economy and dominated political and public debate. However, the vote rests on a knife-edge. Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, which supports Johnson's minority government, will vote against the agreement because of its arrangements for the British province. Labour, led by veteran leftist Jeremy Corbyn, is set against the deal. "Boris Johnson's sell-out deal risks triggering a race to the bottom on rights and protections: putting food safety at risk, cutting environmental standards and workers' rights, and opening up our NHS (National Health Service) to a takeover by US corporations," said Corbyn. 'Sick and tired' Eurosceptic newspapers urged MPs to back the deal. The Daily Express front page said: "Respect the will of the people and let's move on." The Daily Telegraph said it was Britain's best chance for an orderly departure. "People are sick and tired of the delay and fed up with procedural trickery," it said of the proposed amendment. An online Survation poll of 1,025 adults on Thursday and Friday for the Daily Mail found that 50 per cent said MPs should vote for the deal, while 38 per cent said not. Meanwhile, The Times said: "On behalf of a bored and disillusioned country, increasingly angry with Westminster, MPs should back the deal." EU leaders in Brussels this week urged lawmakers to back the deal, to allow both sides to move on to discussing their future relationship. The deal covers Britain's financial settlement, protects the rights of EU citizens and sets out a post-Brexit transition period potentially until 2022 to allow both sides to agree to new trade terms.

Brexit in balance as British Members of Parliament hold knife-edge vote

Brexit Super Saturday: Brexit vote on Boris Johnson's deal in Parliament. Watch video to know more.

Brexit Super Saturday: Brexit vote on Boris Johnson's deal in Parliament

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-deal-new-way-forward-for-britain-and-eu-pm-boris-johnson-256870">The British parliament may end up forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request another Brexit delay</a> and give only provisional support to his divorce deal with the European Union.

An amendment penned by former government minister Oliver Letwin forces Johnson to write a letter to Brussels requesting an extension of the Brexit deadline until January 31 of next year.

Johnson is currently required to ask for an extension if parliament on Saturday votes down the revised withdrawal agreement he signed with EU leaders in Brussels this week.

But Letwin's amendment, which was selected by House of Commons Speaker John Bercow, would decline to approve Johnson's deal in full "unless and until" every other part of the formal Withdrawal Agreement Bill is passed.

Johnson hopes to introduce the formal bill next week once MPs have voted on Saturday's political agreement.

Letwin says he backs Johnson's agreement but is concerned that lawmakers might fail to push through the required Brexit implementation mechanism by the October 31 deadline.

This would, theoretically, result in a "no-deal" split at the end of the month, a scenario Letwin's amendment is designed to avoid.

The British parliament may end up forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request another Brexit delay and give only provisional support to his divorce deal with the European Union.

The British parliament may end up forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request another Brexit delay and give only provisional support to his divorce deal with the European Union. An amendment penned by former government minister Oliver Letwin forces Johnson to write a letter to Brussels requesting an extension of the Brexit deadline until January 31 of next year. Johnson is currently required to ask for an extension if parliament on Saturday votes down the revised withdrawal agreement he signed with EU leaders in Brussels this week. But Letwin's amendment, which was selected by House of Commons Speaker John Bercow, would decline to approve Johnson's deal in full "unless and until" every other part of the formal Withdrawal Agreement Bill is passed. Johnson hopes to introduce the formal bill next week once MPs have voted on Saturday's political agreement. Letwin says he backs Johnson's agreement but is concerned that lawmakers might fail to push through the required Brexit implementation mechanism by the October 31 deadline. This would, theoretically, result in a "no-deal" split at the end of the month, a scenario Letwin's amendment is designed to avoid.

United Kingdom Brexit vote amendment could cause another delay

UK PM Johnson address to the Parliament. He said, 'We won't impose regulations on Ireland without the consent. EU has very little appetite for another extension'. UK Parliament to vote for Brexit shortly.

UK PM Johnson address to the Parliament as the UK Parl to vote for Brexit shortly

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday said his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-day-of-reckoning-parliament-to-vote-on-boris-johnsons-deal-256805">Brexit deal</a> offered a "new way forward" for Britain and the EU, as he urged MPs to vote for it in a rare weekend session of parliament.

He told lawmakers the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/heres-how-boris-johnsons-brexit-deal-is-different-from-theresa-mays-version-256727">divorce agreement</a> he struck this week in Brussels would be a "new way forward and a new and better deal both for Britain and our friends in the EU".

Johnson also warned against further delay to Britain's departure from the European Union, telling lawmakers there was "little appetite" for another extension.

He told parliament that "further delay is pointless, expensive and deeply corrosive to public trust", as MPs sat on a weekend for the first time in 37 years to debate his divorce agreement.

Britain's parliament sat on a Saturday for the first time in 37-years to debate <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-scrambles-to-sell-brexit-deal-to-mps-256702">Prime Minister Boris Johnson</a>'s Brexit deal to leave the European Union.

Johnson is currently making a statement to lawmakers, after which there will be a debate and then votes on amendments and finally - if all goes according to the government's plan - his deal.

Watch: Brexit - a chance or challenge for India?

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MPs will decide on the divorce deal struck with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/european-union-leaders-discuss-12-trillion-post-brexit-budget-256617">EU leaders</a> on Thursday, in a knife-edge vote that could see Britain out of the bloc on October 31. Parliament's last Saturday session was in 1982.

More than three years since the United Kingdom voted 52-48 to be the first country to leave the European project, Johnson will try to win parliament's approval for the divorce treaty he struck in Brussels on Thursday.

Johnson depicted the vote as the last chance to secure an orderly&nbsp;Brexit. Though he is obliged by law to seek a&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;delay if his deal falls, Johnson said the United Kingdom would still leave on October 31. He didn't explain how.

The so-called&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;"Super Saturday" tops a frenetic week which saw Johnson confound his opponents by clinching a new&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;deal although his Northern Irish allies opposed it.

In a divided parliament where he has no majority and opponents are plotting maximum political damage ahead of an imminent election, Johnson must now win the support of 320 lawmakers to pass his deal.

If he wins the vote, Johnson will go down in history as the leader who delivered a&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;- for good or bad - that pulls the United Kingdom far out of the EU's orbit.

Should he fail, Johnson will face the humiliation of&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;unravelling after repeatedly promising that he would get it done - "do or die" - by October 31.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday said his Brexit deal offered a "new way forward" for Britain and the EU, as he urged MPs to vote for it in a rare weekend session of parliament.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday said his Brexit deal offered a "new way forward" for Britain and the EU, as he urged MPs to vote for it in a rare weekend session of parliament. He told lawmakers the divorce agreement he struck this week in Brussels would be a "new way forward and a new and better deal both for Britain and our friends in the EU". Johnson also warned against further delay to Britain's departure from the European Union, telling lawmakers there was "little appetite" for another extension. He told parliament that "further delay is pointless, expensive and deeply corrosive to public trust", as MPs sat on a weekend for the first time in 37 years to debate his divorce agreement. Britain's parliament sat on a Saturday for the first time in 37-years to debate Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal to leave the European Union. Johnson is currently making a statement to lawmakers, after which there will be a debate and then votes on amendments and finally - if all goes according to the government's plan - his deal. Watch: Brexit - a chance or challenge for India? × MPs will decide on the divorce deal struck with EU leaders on Thursday, in a knife-edge vote that could see Britain out of the bloc on October 31. Parliament's last Saturday session was in 1982. More than three years since the United Kingdom voted 52-48 to be the first country to leave the European project, Johnson will try to win parliament's approval for the divorce treaty he struck in Brussels on Thursday. Johnson depicted the vote as the last chance to secure an orderly Brexit. Though he is obliged by law to seek a Brexit delay if his deal falls, Johnson said the United Kingdom would still leave on October 31. He didn't explain how. The so-called Brexit "Super Saturday" tops a frenetic week which saw Johnson confound his opponents by clinching a new Brexit deal although his Northern Irish allies opposed it. In a divided parliament where he has no majority and opponents are plotting maximum political damage ahead of an imminent election, Johnson must now win the support of 320 lawmakers to pass his deal. If he wins the vote, Johnson will go down in history as the leader who delivered a Brexit - for good or bad - that pulls the United Kingdom far out of the EU's orbit. Should he fail, Johnson will face the humiliation of Brexit unravelling after repeatedly promising that he would get it done - "do or die" - by October 31.

Ahead of parliament vote on Brexit deal, Johnson says it is the 'new way forward for Britain and EU'

Brexit Party's Nigel Farage urges MPs to reject the deal. Today is the 'Historical Saturday' in the history of Brexit as UK Parliament to vote today for the same. Watch this video to know more.

'Historical Saturday' in the history of Brexit, UK Parliament to vote

Brexit basics: What it is and why does it matter?

European&nbsp;Union&nbsp;leaders&nbsp;will&nbsp;discuss&nbsp;a new&nbsp;budget&nbsp;plan on Friday that could allow the bloc to spend up to 1.1&nbsp;trillion&nbsp;euros&nbsp;in the 2021-2027 period, but deep divisions among governments could block a deal for months.

Under a proposal prepared by Finland, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, the next long-term&nbsp;budget&nbsp;should have a financial capacity between 1.03 per cent&nbsp;and 1.08 per cent&nbsp;of the bloc's gross national income (GNI), a measure of output.

That would allow the EU to spend between 1 and 1.1&nbsp;trillion&nbsp;euros for seven years with its first&nbsp;budget&nbsp;after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-agrees-brexit-deal-but-must-now-win-over-parliament-256575">exit from the club of Britain</a>, one of the top contributors to EU coffers.

The document, seen by Reuters, is less ambitious than proposals put forward by the&nbsp;European&nbsp;Commission, the EU executive, which is seeking a&nbsp;budget&nbsp;worth 1.1 per cent&nbsp;of GNI. The EU parliament called for an even higher&nbsp;budget&nbsp;at 1.3 per cent&nbsp;of GNI.

But the Finnish proposal moves beyond a 1 per cent&nbsp;cap set by Germany, the bloc's largest economy.

Finland's midway solution has displeased most of the 27 EU states, EU officials said, anticipating long negotiations before a compromise can be reached.

Talks on&nbsp;budgets are traditionally among the most divisive in a bloc that in recent years has become increasingly prone to quarrels, as its states are deeply split over economic policies, financial reforms and how to handle migrants.

The Finnish proposal, which cuts spending on farmers and poorer regions, has managed to unite the divided EU&nbsp;leaders&nbsp;in its criticism.

"The text has caused nearly unanimous dissatisfaction," a diplomat involved in the talks said.

While the bloc has embarked on a range of new expensive policies, such as protecting its borders and increasing social security, states are reluctant to pay more.

Germany and other Nordic supporters of a smaller&nbsp;budget&nbsp;argue that because of&nbsp;Brexit, they would pay more into EU coffers even with a 1 per cent&nbsp;cap because they would need to compensate for the loss of Britain's transfers.

Eastern and southern states, who benefit from EU funds on poorer regions and agriculture, are keen to see a bigger&nbsp;budget, and are not happy with Finland's proposed cuts on these sectors.

Under the proposal, subsidies to poor regions would drop to less than 30 per cent&nbsp;of the&nbsp;budget&nbsp;from 34 per cent&nbsp;now, while aid to farmers would fall to slightly more than 30 per cent&nbsp;from over 35 per cent&nbsp;of the total.

To complicate matters, the new&nbsp;budget&nbsp;should also include rules that would suspend funding to member states with rule-of-law shortcomings, such as limits to media freedom or the independence of judges.

This is irking states like Poland and Hungary which Brussels has long accused of breaches in the rule of law after judiciary and media reforms adopted by their far-right governments.

Friday's meeting is seen as a starting point and is not supposed to find a compromise, but divisions are so deep that many officials fear a deal may not be reached by a self-imposed December deadline. A later deal would delay the launch of spending programmes.

The Finns remained confident, however, and insist their suggested spending range would eventually be backed by EU states. "The fact that almost everybody is against our text shows we have put forward a fair proposal," one diplomat said.

European Union leaders will discuss a new budget plan on Friday that could allow the bloc to spend up to 1.1 trillion euros in the 2021-2027 period, but deep divisions among governments could block a deal for months.

European Union leaders will discuss a new budget plan on Friday that could allow the bloc to spend up to 1.1 trillion euros in the 2021-2027 period, but deep divisions among governments could block a deal for months. Under a proposal prepared by Finland, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, the next long-term budget should have a financial capacity between 1.03 per cent and 1.08 per cent of the bloc's gross national income (GNI), a measure of output. That would allow the EU to spend between 1 and 1.1 trillion euros for seven years with its first budget after the exit from the club of Britain, one of the top contributors to EU coffers. The document, seen by Reuters, is less ambitious than proposals put forward by the European Commission, the EU executive, which is seeking a budget worth 1.1 per cent of GNI. The EU parliament called for an even higher budget at 1.3 per cent of GNI. But the Finnish proposal moves beyond a 1 per cent cap set by Germany, the bloc's largest economy. Finland's midway solution has displeased most of the 27 EU states, EU officials said, anticipating long negotiations before a compromise can be reached. Talks on budgets are traditionally among the most divisive in a bloc that in recent years has become increasingly prone to quarrels, as its states are deeply split over economic policies, financial reforms and how to handle migrants. The Finnish proposal, which cuts spending on farmers and poorer regions, has managed to unite the divided EU leaders in its criticism. "The text has caused nearly unanimous dissatisfaction," a diplomat involved in the talks said. While the bloc has embarked on a range of new expensive policies, such as protecting its borders and increasing social security, states are reluctant to pay more. Germany and other Nordic supporters of a smaller budget argue that because of Brexit, they would pay more into EU coffers even with a 1 per cent cap because they would need to compensate for the loss of Britain's transfers. Eastern and southern states, who benefit from EU funds on poorer regions and agriculture, are keen to see a bigger budget, and are not happy with Finland's proposed cuts on these sectors. Under the proposal, subsidies to poor regions would drop to less than 30 per cent of the budget from 34 per cent now, while aid to farmers would fall to slightly more than 30 per cent from over 35 per cent of the total. To complicate matters, the new budget should also include rules that would suspend funding to member states with rule-of-law shortcomings, such as limits to media freedom or the independence of judges. This is irking states like Poland and Hungary which Brussels has long accused of breaches in the rule of law after judiciary and media reforms adopted by their far-right governments. Friday's meeting is seen as a starting point and is not supposed to find a compromise, but divisions are so deep that many officials fear a deal may not be reached by a self-imposed December deadline. A later deal would delay the launch of spending programmes. The Finns remained confident, however, and insist their suggested spending range would eventually be backed by EU states. "The fact that almost everybody is against our text shows we have put forward a fair proposal," one diplomat said.

European Union leaders discuss $1.2 trillion post-Brexit budget

European Union leaders unanimously backed a new <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eus-chief-jean-claude-juncker-says-brexit-will-not-be-delayed-256532">Brexit deal</a> with Britain on Thursday, leaving Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pound-goes-on-rollercoaster-ride-after-brexit-draft-deal-256529">Boris Johnson</a> facing a battle to secure the UK parliament's backing for the agreement if he is to take Britain out of Europe on October 31.

Speaking after the EU's 27 other leaders had endorsed the deal without Johnson in the room, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker declared himself pleased that an agreement had been reached but unhappy to see Britain go.

"All in all, I am happy, relieved that we reached a deal," he said. "But I am sad because Brexit is happening."

Those sentiments were echoed by the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and by Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, who has been a vocal opponent of Brexit.

"On a more personal note, what I feel today is sadness," Tusk told reporters. "Because in my heart, I will always be a remainer. And I hope that if our British friends decide to return one day, our door will always be open."

British and EU negotiators reached the agreement after successive days of late-night talks and nearly three years of heated discussions that have strained EU-UK ties at a time the bloc is facing a wave of Euroscepticism, struggling to restart economic growth and take a stand against resurgent global powers China and Russia.

Johnson said he was confident that parliament, which will sit for an extraordinary session on Saturday to vote on the Brexit agreement, would approve the deal.

"When my colleagues in parliament study this agreement they will want to vote for it on Saturday and then in succeeding days," he told reporters.

But the arithmetic in the vote is not simple.

The Northern Irish party that Johnson needs to help ratify any agreement, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has refused to support it, saying it is not in Northern Ireland's interests.

The head of the main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said he was "unhappy" with the agreement and would vote against it. Labour has said it wants any deal to be subject to a public vote, but as yet has not indicated whether it will back any move for a second referendum on Saturday.

Johnson does not have a majority in the 650-seat parliament, and in practice needs at least 318 votes to get a deal ratified. The DUP have 10 votes. Parliament defeated a previous deal struck by Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, three times.

Deutsche Bank estimated there was a 55% chance parliament would reject Johnson's deal, and other analysts thought similar.

Johnson appears intent on presenting parliament with a stark choice - the deal he has struck or no deal - in the hope of securing just enough votes, including perhaps from the opposition benches, to secure a knife-edge approval.

"The PM's position is that it's a new deal or no deal but no delay," said a senior British government official.

If the deal is approved, economists said Britain was likely headed for a "fairly hard" Brexit, certainly a harder one than would have been the case under May's deal.

(Dis) unity

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said one positive with the Johnson deal was that it was clear Britain would become what the EU calls a "third country", making it essential for the EU to work rapidly on reaching a free trade agreement with it.

"There is an essential difference compared with when Theresa May was prime minister," said Merkel. "Then it was not clear how the future relations would look, whether membership of the customs union or not. Now it is quite clear."

Johnson spoke to the other EU leaders for about 30 minutes during his first - and possibly last - summit in Brussels.

In a sign of the times for the bloc, which has never yet lost a member, he is expected to skip the second day of discussions on the EU's future budget and tackling climate change.

As Britain took a step closer to leaving the EU after more than four decades, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar made a case for the union.

"As the leader of a small nation, I have felt enormous solidarity from our European partners," he said, bidding farewell to Britain, "an old friend."

"The unity that we have seen in the last few years is a lesson to us for the future... something we take forward for future negotiations. Not just with the UK, but the U.S. and China and Turkey and others."

'Backstop' gone

Negotiators worked frantically this week to agree a compromise on the question of the border between EU member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland, the most difficult part of Brexit.

The conundrum was how to prevent the frontier from becoming a backdoor into the EU's single market without erecting checkpoints that could undermine the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of conflict in the province.

The agreement reached will keep Northern Ireland in the UK customs area but EU tariffs will apply on goods crossing from mainland Britain to Northern Ireland if they are headed to Ireland and into the bloc's single market.

The agreement scraps the "backstop", a mechanism envisaged earlier that was designed to prevent a hard border being introduced on the island of Ireland, and would have bound at least parts of Britain to some EU rules.

However, the DUP, which supports Johnson's government, said the new text was not acceptable - a step that could spur hardline Brexiteers in his Conservative party to vote it down.

"These proposals are not, in our view, beneficial to the economic wellbeing of Northern Ireland," the party said.

The uncertainty over parliament's approval means that, two weeks before Britain is due to leave the world's largest trading bloc, the possible outcomes still range from an orderly departure to a chaotic exit or even another referendum that could reverse the entire endeavour.

European Union leaders unanimously backed a new Brexit deal with Britain on Thursday, leaving Prime Minister Boris Johnson facing a battle to secure the UK parliament's backing for the agreement if he is to take Britain out of Europe on October 31.

European Union leaders unanimously backed a new Brexit deal with Britain on Thursday, leaving Prime Minister Boris Johnson facing a battle to secure the UK parliament's backing for the agreement if he is to take Britain out of Europe on October 31. Speaking after the EU's 27 other leaders had endorsed the deal without Johnson in the room, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker declared himself pleased that an agreement had been reached but unhappy to see Britain go. "All in all, I am happy, relieved that we reached a deal," he said. "But I am sad because Brexit is happening." Those sentiments were echoed by the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and by Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, who has been a vocal opponent of Brexit. "On a more personal note, what I feel today is sadness," Tusk told reporters. "Because in my heart, I will always be a remainer. And I hope that if our British friends decide to return one day, our door will always be open." British and EU negotiators reached the agreement after successive days of late-night talks and nearly three years of heated discussions that have strained EU-UK ties at a time the bloc is facing a wave of Euroscepticism, struggling to restart economic growth and take a stand against resurgent global powers China and Russia. Johnson said he was confident that parliament, which will sit for an extraordinary session on Saturday to vote on the Brexit agreement, would approve the deal. "When my colleagues in parliament study this agreement they will want to vote for it on Saturday and then in succeeding days," he told reporters. But the arithmetic in the vote is not simple. The Northern Irish party that Johnson needs to help ratify any agreement, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has refused to support it, saying it is not in Northern Ireland's interests. The head of the main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said he was "unhappy" with the agreement and would vote against it. Labour has said it wants any deal to be subject to a public vote, but as yet has not indicated whether it will back any move for a second referendum on Saturday. Johnson does not have a majority in the 650-seat parliament, and in practice needs at least 318 votes to get a deal ratified. The DUP have 10 votes. Parliament defeated a previous deal struck by Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, three times. Deutsche Bank estimated there was a 55% chance parliament would reject Johnson's deal, and other analysts thought similar. Johnson appears intent on presenting parliament with a stark choice - the deal he has struck or no deal - in the hope of securing just enough votes, including perhaps from the opposition benches, to secure a knife-edge approval. "The PM's position is that it's a new deal or no deal but no delay," said a senior British government official. If the deal is approved, economists said Britain was likely headed for a "fairly hard" Brexit, certainly a harder one than would have been the case under May's deal. (Dis) unity German Chancellor Angela Merkel said one positive with the Johnson deal was that it was clear Britain would become what the EU calls a "third country", making it essential for the EU to work rapidly on reaching a free trade agreement with it. "There is an essential difference compared with when Theresa May was prime minister," said Merkel. "Then it was not clear how the future relations would look, whether membership of the customs union or not. Now it is quite clear." Johnson spoke to the other EU leaders for about 30 minutes during his first - and possibly last - summit in Brussels. In a sign of the times for the bloc, which has never yet lost a member, he is expected to skip the second day of discussions on the EU's future budget and tackling climate change. As Britain took a step closer to leaving the EU after more than four decades, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar made a case for the union. "As the leader of a small nation, I have felt enormous solidarity from our European partners," he said, bidding farewell to Britain, "an old friend." "The unity that we have seen in the last few years is a lesson to us for the future... something we take forward for future negotiations. Not just with the UK, but the U.S. and China and Turkey and others." 'Backstop' gone Negotiators worked frantically this week to agree a compromise on the question of the border between EU member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland, the most difficult part of Brexit. The conundrum was how to prevent the frontier from becoming a backdoor into the EU's single market without erecting checkpoints that could undermine the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of conflict in the province. The agreement reached will keep Northern Ireland in the UK customs area but EU tariffs will apply on goods crossing from mainland Britain to Northern Ireland if they are headed to Ireland and into the bloc's single market. The agreement scraps the "backstop", a mechanism envisaged earlier that was designed to prevent a hard border being introduced on the island of Ireland, and would have bound at least parts of Britain to some EU rules. However, the DUP, which supports Johnson's government, said the new text was not acceptable - a step that could spur hardline Brexiteers in his Conservative party to vote it down. "These proposals are not, in our view, beneficial to the economic wellbeing of Northern Ireland," the party said. The uncertainty over parliament's approval means that, two weeks before Britain is due to leave the world's largest trading bloc, the possible outcomes still range from an orderly departure to a chaotic exit or even another referendum that could reverse the entire endeavour.

Boris Johnson agrees Brexit deal, but must now win over parliament

By Simon Usherwood

Against seemingly all the odds, we have a new Brexit deal. As an apparent vindication of UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s strategy to ramp up the threat of a no-deal departure from the EU and to force concessions from Brussels, one would imagine that Number 10 is rather happy right now. But that happiness will be tempered with caution because some major issues lie ahead.

Negotiations in Brussels have produced legal texts on arrangements for Northern Ireland and on the political declaration, which outlines the broad outline of what the two sides want from their future relationship. These are the product of months of planning by the British government, so it’s reasonable to ask what has actually changed since former prime minister Theresa May struck her original deal.

Reading the text, the first impression is that there’s much more that hasn’t changed than has.

Northern Ireland

The protocol on Northern Ireland and Ireland has long been in the firing line. It proposes a backstop arrangement that would keep Northern Ireland in close alignment with the EU unless and until both UK and EU agreed to change that.

On that front, the introduction of a section on “democratic consent” is an important shift on the EU side. This provides a mechanism for the Northern Ireland Assembly to vote on whether to maintain the provisions of the protocol, with a requirement to have cross-community support. That means the UK is now no longer subject to the EU’s approval if it wants to end the backstop arrangement.

That said, a voting requirement to have majorities from both unionist and nationalist groupings makes it very hard to achieve – especially since the Northern Ireland Executive broke down several years ago and is still not in operation. While the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) might control unionist voting, it can only do the same with nationalists if it creates a much more benign and cooperative environment. And even if that does happen and arrangements are voted down by Stormont, there is still a long phasing-out period, so things cannot move too quickly.

From the EU’s perspective, this arrangement provides a degree of security, mainly because any decision to overturn the system is not solely in the hands of the UK – which has not been the most reliable partner of late.

Customs arrangements

The other big change is on customs arrangements. Instead of creating a temporary customs area for the whole of the UK, the revised Protocol makes Northern Ireland a part of the UK’s customs territory. Because that would imply border controls, a rather convoluted system of custom duty collection is set out.

In essence, the system collects duties from businesses, dependent upon where goods are coming from and going to, with the possibility of various exemptions that will be agreed down the line.

It’s a much more complex system than before, but it does allow Johnson to argue that the entire UK is leaving the EU’s customs union, allowing it to benefit from any new trade deals that might be concluded.

Meanwhile, the political declaration, the main change is that the UK now suggests it is looking for a much looser future relationship, based on a free trade agreement, rather than anything that might include participation in the EU’s single market or customs union.

Less is more? 
 
While these are all noteworthy, they do represent only a very small part of the totality of the withdrawal agreement, as agreed by May last November. The Protocol still kicks into effect at the end of a transition period and the effect is still that Northern Ireland is kept very close to EU’s regulatory standards for many years. The future relationship remains as aspirational as May’s plans – until such a document is negotiated and ratified, by some future British government, no one can be sure what it will look like.

Nor did this negotiation touch on citizens’ rights, financial liabilities, the power of the EU’s courts to issue definitive rulings on matters of dispute (an important matter for hard Brexit supporters in the Conservative Party) or the institutional arrangements for managing all of this. Even as Number 10 goes into its selling mode, those continuities from last year’s text will be present in many people’s minds.

The plan still seems to be for the government to present this deal to the UK parliament in a special Saturday sitting on October 19. We already know that the DUP has issues with the revised text because it places Northern Ireland in a different legal position to the rest of the UK, so winning that vote looks even harder than it already did. The government will hope that it can present the deal to MPs as the last, best hope for a Brexit settlement – but, with wobbles from the DUP, Johnson will struggle to get close to a majority.

Even if he does, the potential to keep that majority together for the subsequent passage of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill looks even less likely. And remember that, as things stand today, this text isn’t even signed off by the 27 EU member states – there’s now not really enough time for them to digest and approve something that moves them off their previous position.

In short, this might still fall apart for Johnson, just as it did for May. 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/boris-johnsons-brexit-deal-whats-in-it-and-how-is-it-different-to-theresa-mays-version-125446">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

(Simon Usherwood is Professor in Politics, University of Surrey)

By Simon Usherwood Against seemingly all the odds, we have a new Brexit deal. As an apparent vindication of UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s strategy to ramp up the threat of a no-deal departure from the EU and to force concessions from Brussels, one would imagine that Number 10 is rather happy right now.

By Simon Usherwood Against seemingly all the odds, we have a new Brexit deal. As an apparent vindication of UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s strategy to ramp up the threat of a no-deal departure from the EU and to force concessions from Brussels, one would imagine that Number 10 is rather happy right now. But that happiness will be tempered with caution because some major issues lie ahead. Negotiations in Brussels have produced legal texts on arrangements for Northern Ireland and on the political declaration, which outlines the broad outline of what the two sides want from their future relationship. These are the product of months of planning by the British government, so it’s reasonable to ask what has actually changed since former prime minister Theresa May struck her original deal. Reading the text, the first impression is that there’s much more that hasn’t changed than has. Northern Ireland The protocol on Northern Ireland and Ireland has long been in the firing line. It proposes a backstop arrangement that would keep Northern Ireland in close alignment with the EU unless and until both UK and EU agreed to change that. On that front, the introduction of a section on “democratic consent” is an important shift on the EU side. This provides a mechanism for the Northern Ireland Assembly to vote on whether to maintain the provisions of the protocol, with a requirement to have cross-community support. That means the UK is now no longer subject to the EU’s approval if it wants to end the backstop arrangement. That said, a voting requirement to have majorities from both unionist and nationalist groupings makes it very hard to achieve – especially since the Northern Ireland Executive broke down several years ago and is still not in operation. While the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) might control unionist voting, it can only do the same with nationalists if it creates a much more benign and cooperative environment. And even if that does happen and arrangements are voted down by Stormont, there is still a long phasing-out period, so things cannot move too quickly. From the EU’s perspective, this arrangement provides a degree of security, mainly because any decision to overturn the system is not solely in the hands of the UK – which has not been the most reliable partner of late. Customs arrangements The other big change is on customs arrangements. Instead of creating a temporary customs area for the whole of the UK, the revised Protocol makes Northern Ireland a part of the UK’s customs territory. Because that would imply border controls, a rather convoluted system of custom duty collection is set out. In essence, the system collects duties from businesses, dependent upon where goods are coming from and going to, with the possibility of various exemptions that will be agreed down the line. It’s a much more complex system than before, but it does allow Johnson to argue that the entire UK is leaving the EU’s customs union, allowing it to benefit from any new trade deals that might be concluded. Meanwhile, the political declaration, the main change is that the UK now suggests it is looking for a much looser future relationship, based on a free trade agreement, rather than anything that might include participation in the EU’s single market or customs union. Less is more? While these are all noteworthy, they do represent only a very small part of the totality of the withdrawal agreement, as agreed by May last November. The Protocol still kicks into effect at the end of a transition period and the effect is still that Northern Ireland is kept very close to EU’s regulatory standards for many years. The future relationship remains as aspirational as May’s plans – until such a document is negotiated and ratified, by some future British government, no one can be sure what it will look like. Nor did this negotiation touch on citizens’ rights, financial liabilities, the power of the EU’s courts to issue definitive rulings on matters of dispute (an important matter for hard Brexit supporters in the Conservative Party) or the institutional arrangements for managing all of this. Even as Number 10 goes into its selling mode, those continuities from last year’s text will be present in many people’s minds. The plan still seems to be for the government to present this deal to the UK parliament in a special Saturday sitting on October 19. We already know that the DUP has issues with the revised text because it places Northern Ireland in a different legal position to the rest of the UK, so winning that vote looks even harder than it already did. The government will hope that it can present the deal to MPs as the last, best hope for a Brexit settlement – but, with wobbles from the DUP, Johnson will struggle to get close to a majority. Even if he does, the potential to keep that majority together for the subsequent passage of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill looks even less likely. And remember that, as things stand today, this text isn’t even signed off by the 27 EU member states – there’s now not really enough time for them to digest and approve something that moves them off their previous position. In short, this might still fall apart for Johnson, just as it did for May. (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (Simon Usherwood is Professor in Politics, University of Surrey)

Here's how Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal is different from Theresa May’s version?

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched a charm offensive on Friday to sell his Brexit deal to sceptical MPs, with a looming vote in parliament resting on a knife-edge.

The Conservative leader pulled off a major coup in agreeing a new divorce deal with the European Union on Thursday, paving the way for him to deliver his promise to leave the bloc on October 31.

But the agreement must still be approved by the House of Commons, which is meeting for the first time on a Saturday in 37 years to debate the text -- and many MPs are strongly opposed.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uks-johnson-says-great-new-deal-reached-on-brexit-256464">'Great new deal' reached on Brexit: UK PM Boris Johnson</a>

Johnson told a Brussels press conference late Thursday that he was "very confident" of getting the accord through -- although analysts suggest the vote could be very tight.

Johnson has no majority among MPs, opposition parties have come out against the deal and even his parliamentary ally, Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), says it cannot support the terms.

If the Commons rejects the deal, Johnson will be forced by law to ask the EU to delay Brexit, for what would be the third time. He has said he would rather "die in a ditch" than do so.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sought to focus MPs' minds, saying Brussels can see no need to prolong the tortuous three-year Brexit process -- although the decision to delay, if requested by London, would be for EU leaders.

"There is no choice between Brexit or no Brexit: it's a choice between deal or no deal," Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said Friday.&nbsp;

'This is our chance'

Johnson took office in July vowing to keep to the October 31 Brexit deadline, deal or no deal.

He pledged to renegotiate the most contentious elements of a divorce text agreed by his predecessor Theresa May with Brussels last year, which was rejected by MPs three times.

The compromise deal that was finally struck on Thursday has a new arrangement for keeping open the border between British Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.

"It looks like we are very close to the final stretch," EU Council President Donald Tusk said after the bloc's leaders endorsed the text.

Johnson has assured his European counterparts that he can get the deal through the Commons, where he requires the support of 319 other MPs to guarantee backing.

"I'm very confident that when my colleagues in parliament study this agreement, that they will want to vote for it on Saturday, and then in succeeding days," he told reporters.

"This is our chance in the UK as democrats to get Brexit done, and come out on October 31."

Wooing Labour rebels

However, the DUP has said it cannot support the plans, as efforts to avoid checks on the Irish land border would lead to new trade barriers between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.

The main opposition Labour, Scottish National and Liberal Democrat parties are also against.

The pound had risen to five-month peaks on news of the deal.

However sterling dipped about 0.1 percent against the dollar on Friday as investors continued to fret over Johnson's chances of success.

Johnson will meet with and call MPs to try to win support for his deal throughout Friday, a Downing Street official said.

With the numbers extremely close, he needs to win over Labour MPs representing Brexit-supporting constituencies.

The Labour leadership objects to the new deal because it paves the way for looser ties between Britain and the EU than were previously envisaged. The party wants a second referendum on any deal.

"We should just vote the deal down because it's such a bad deal," Labour finance spokesman John McDonnell told BBC radio.

"It is a sell-out."

Britain's eurosceptic newspapers backed Johnson's deal, which comes more than three years after Britons voted narrowly to leave the EU in a referendum that has left the country bitterly divided.

"Get real... take the deal!" said The Sun's front page, while the Daily Mail went for "He's done his duty. Now MPs must do theirs", and the Daily Express said "Just do it!"

Meanwhile, the Financial Times called for a second referendum, while the Labour-supporting Daily Mirror said the best thing about Johnson's deal was that it was better than no deal.

The Times urged lawmakers to back the agreement, while The Daily Telegraph said parliament "must not scupper this chance". 
&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched a charm offensive on Friday to sell his Brexit deal to sceptical MPs, with a looming vote in parliament resting on a knife-edge.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched a charm offensive on Friday to sell his Brexit deal to sceptical MPs, with a looming vote in parliament resting on a knife-edge. The Conservative leader pulled off a major coup in agreeing a new divorce deal with the European Union on Thursday, paving the way for him to deliver his promise to leave the bloc on October 31. But the agreement must still be approved by the House of Commons, which is meeting for the first time on a Saturday in 37 years to debate the text -- and many MPs are strongly opposed. Also read: 'Great new deal' reached on Brexit: UK PM Boris Johnson Johnson told a Brussels press conference late Thursday that he was "very confident" of getting the accord through -- although analysts suggest the vote could be very tight. Johnson has no majority among MPs, opposition parties have come out against the deal and even his parliamentary ally, Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), says it cannot support the terms. If the Commons rejects the deal, Johnson will be forced by law to ask the EU to delay Brexit, for what would be the third time. He has said he would rather "die in a ditch" than do so. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sought to focus MPs' minds, saying Brussels can see no need to prolong the tortuous three-year Brexit process -- although the decision to delay, if requested by London, would be for EU leaders. "There is no choice between Brexit or no Brexit: it's a choice between deal or no deal," Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said Friday. 'This is our chance' Johnson took office in July vowing to keep to the October 31 Brexit deadline, deal or no deal. He pledged to renegotiate the most contentious elements of a divorce text agreed by his predecessor Theresa May with Brussels last year, which was rejected by MPs three times. The compromise deal that was finally struck on Thursday has a new arrangement for keeping open the border between British Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. "It looks like we are very close to the final stretch," EU Council President Donald Tusk said after the bloc's leaders endorsed the text. Johnson has assured his European counterparts that he can get the deal through the Commons, where he requires the support of 319 other MPs to guarantee backing. "I'm very confident that when my colleagues in parliament study this agreement, that they will want to vote for it on Saturday, and then in succeeding days," he told reporters. "This is our chance in the UK as democrats to get Brexit done, and come out on October 31." Wooing Labour rebels However, the DUP has said it cannot support the plans, as efforts to avoid checks on the Irish land border would lead to new trade barriers between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain. The main opposition Labour, Scottish National and Liberal Democrat parties are also against. The pound had risen to five-month peaks on news of the deal. However sterling dipped about 0.1 percent against the dollar on Friday as investors continued to fret over Johnson's chances of success. Johnson will meet with and call MPs to try to win support for his deal throughout Friday, a Downing Street official said. With the numbers extremely close, he needs to win over Labour MPs representing Brexit-supporting constituencies. The Labour leadership objects to the new deal because it paves the way for looser ties between Britain and the EU than were previously envisaged. The party wants a second referendum on any deal. "We should just vote the deal down because it's such a bad deal," Labour finance spokesman John McDonnell told BBC radio. "It is a sell-out." Britain's eurosceptic newspapers backed Johnson's deal, which comes more than three years after Britons voted narrowly to leave the EU in a referendum that has left the country bitterly divided. "Get real... take the deal!" said The Sun's front page, while the Daily Mail went for "He's done his duty. Now MPs must do theirs", and the Daily Express said "Just do it!" Meanwhile, the Financial Times called for a second referendum, while the Labour-supporting Daily Mirror said the best thing about Johnson's deal was that it was better than no deal. The Times urged lawmakers to back the agreement, while The Daily Telegraph said parliament "must not scupper this chance".

British PM Boris Johnson scrambles to sell Brexit deal to MPs

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