Brexit deal vote delayed

The Brexit deal will not be voted on today despite an unprecedented Saturday sitting which some MPs are calling “a complete and utter farce”, however it does not mean that the UK has rejected the new Brexit deal negotiated by Boris Johnson.

Next week Parliament will have an opportunity to vote on it, but the Brexit deal faces opposition from the DUP, which is seeking further concessions due to the party’s concerns about it being forced to align with EU laws while the rest of the UK does not have to face restrictions. According to the DUP, the current deal could also mean that future free trade agreements could be applied to the UK, but Northern Ireland may be at an economic disadvantage due to overlapping customs arrangements.

The prime minister by law is now required to request to the European Union an extension to Article 50 by 11pm this evening. Boris Johnson however has been clear that despite the delay today, the UK will still leave the European Union on October 31st.

Until then, all the legislation of this new Brexit deal needs to be passed before it can be put back for a vote, which could take more than 10 days to get through the House of Commons. This in theory means that the UK could still crash out of the EU on October 31st if the EU rejects an extension to Article 50, and the new Brexit deal hasn’t been passed.