A ‘meaningful vote’ on the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal has been delayed again after the Speaker blocked MPs from voting on it tonight.
John Bercow said: ‘My ruling is that the motion will not be debated today as it would be repetitive and disorderly to do so,’ suggesting that a similar had already taken place on Saturday, Metro reports.
On another chaotic day in Parliament, Boris Johnson saw chances of his deal being passed tonight dashed in parliament in one of a number of new headaches for the Prime Minister.
Mr Bercow added that the ‘same question convention’ was a ‘very strong’ and long-standing rule. He explained: ‘Today’s motion is in substance the same as Saturday’s motion and the House has decided the matter.’
Mr Johnson is also facing a court challenge over his extension request to the EU, while Labour was attempting to force a vote on whether to remain in the customs union and hold a second referendum.
The government was expected to scrap the vote anyway if those Labour amendments were given the go-ahead. Mr Johnson abandoned plans for a ‘meaningful vote’ on Saturday when MPs backed a move forcing him to ask Brussels for a further delay.
The Prime Minister had insisted he would rather be ‘dead in a ditch’ than ask for an extension, before sending an unsigned request for a delay along with a personal letter warning against it.
Focus now switches to the Government bringing its Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) to another vote, possibly tomorrow.
The WAB is the legally-binding treaty that must be passed for the UK to leave the EU, while the Government must also win a ‘meaningful vote’.
Brexit Secretary Mr Barclay called on MPs to ‘respect the referendum’ by backing the Bill, warning: ‘This is the chance to leave the EU with a deal on October 31.
Ministers insist they could have sufficient support among MPs to allow the UK to depart by the current October 31 deadline. But, with no Commons majority, Mr Johnson faces a nail-biting battle to achieve his cast-iron pledge. Labour was planning to amend the proposals to secure a customs union and a second referendum, as the legislation passes through Parliament.
