By October 19, Boris Johnson must either approve the agreement in parliament or obtain consent from deputies to withdraw without an agreement.
On the night of September 5, the British Parliament voted in favor of a bill that would prevent Prime Minister Boris Johnson from pulling the country out of the European Union without an agreement on October 31.
The House of Commons supported the bill, which will force the government to demand a three-month delay in Brexit. The document stipulates that until October 19, the Prime Minister will either approve the agreement in parliament or obtain consent from deputies to withdraw without an agreement. After this period, he will have to submit a request to postpone Britain’s exit until January 31, 2020.
Interestingly, the bill provides for the wording of a letter that Johnson will have to write to the President of the European Council.
If the EU in response proposes a different date, the Prime Minister will have 2 days to accept this proposal. During this time, deputies – not the government – will be able to reject this date.
The bill also requires ministers to report to the House of Commons over the next few months, potentially providing more opportunities to take control of the agenda.
The document was transmitted to the upper house of parliament – the House of Lords. If members of the Upper House make amendments to it, the House of Commons will still have to accept them.